Cheesecake

3 8-oz. pkgs. cream cheese

4 eggs

1 c. sugar (scant)

1 T. vanilla extract

graham cracker crust mix

1/2 c. sour cream

Preheat oven to 350. For graham cracker crust, follow package directions, use 9" springform pan. For cheesecake: Combine cream cheese, eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Pour into crust. Bake 45-60 minutes. Watch for cracks. Put sour cream on top (use more if it will absorb).

My husband makes this for me as a special treat - he knows how much I love it! When he makes it, I love having it for breakfast even! He has experimented with using store-bought crust - the filling makes 2 cheesecakes using the store-bought crust. I love it either way!

Babcia's Hungarian Nut Cookies

6 eggs, separated

1/2 c. water, warm

1/4 t. sugar

1 pkg. yeast

1 lb. butter (break sticks up smaller)

6 1/2 c. flour

1 c. sour cream

1 lb. walnuts (2 lbs. if in shell), ground

2 c. sugar

1/8 t. vanilla extract (or almond) - optional

Dissolve yeast in water and 1/4 teaspoon of sugar. Combine yeast mixture with butter, flour, egg yolks and sour cream. Mix well using hands until it doesn't stick to your fingers. Store in refrigerator overnight. 

Preheat oven to 375. Roll dough into walnut-size/jawbreaker-size balls. Roll dough balls out thin with rolling pin. Prepare the filling: Beat egg whites. Gradually, slowly, add 2 cups of sugar. Fold ground nuts into egg white mixture. Add vanilla and mix. Spread nut mixture on dough. Roll dough into little tubes. Lay on ungreased cookie sheet with flap on bottom. Bake 25 minutes or until done. Remove from cookie sheets and let cool. Sift powdered sugar on top. 

If you run out of filling when rolling them up, you can use cinnamon & sugar, or peanut butter, or even nutella.

Baked these with Jim's Babcia - they're delicious and a fun family activity. We have made them on our own and reminisced about that day baking with her. "I'm not gonna be pinching someone else's sugar."

Snow Ice Cream

4 c. fresh snow

1 c. milk

1/4 c. sugar

1 t. vanilla extract

Stir all ingredients together in a large bowl. Eat immediately.

Brings back childhood memories! Made this with my mom and dad - what a treat. This will make enough for 2 servings.

Dump Cake

1 box white (vanilla) cake mix

2 cans cherry pie filling

1 can crushed pineapple

1 c. butter

Preheat oven to 350. Grease 9" x 13" pan. Dump cherry pie filling and spread to cover bottom of pan. Dump pineapple on top of cherries and carefully spread to cover. Dump cake mix evenly over top. Melt butter and pour on top. Bake 1 hour - crust will be very brown and look close to burning. Serve warm.

So easy and a great crowdpleaser. Serve with vanilla ice cream. Can substitute other pie fillings.

Wacky Cake

Ingredients:

2 c. sugar
3 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking soda
6 Tblsp. unsweetened cocoa
2 c. water
2 Tblsp. white vinegar
12 Tblsp. margarine

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, combine sugar, flour, salt, cocoa and baking soda. Add water and vinegar. Place margarine in 9"x13" pan and put in warming oven to allow it to melt. Once margarine is melted, pour batter into pan and mix margarine into the cake right in the pan. Bake for 35 minutes. When cool, frost if desired or sprinkle with powdered sugar.

My sister Shari made this for us once and my husband, who typically doesn't like desserts, really liked it. She started making it for his birthday each year. One year it was even decorated with a Batman logo. It is a delicious, moist chocolate cake.A big piece with a glass of cold milk - yum!

Easy Peanut Brittle

Ingredients:

1 c. sugar
1/2 c. light corn syrup
1 c. unsalted peanuts
1/8 tsp. salt
1 Tblsp. butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda

Grease a cookie sheet and set it aside. Combine sugar, corn syrup, peanuts and salt in microwave-safe mixing bowl. Microwave on high for 4 minutes, stir, microwave on high an additional 3-3 1/2 minutes. Add butter. Microwave on high another 1 minute. Brittle should not get too brown. Stir in vanilla and soda until light and foamy. Spread on the buttered baking sheet as thinly as possible. Cool. Break into pieces.

Sometime in the past couple of years I discovered that my husband really likes peanut brittle. I wanted to try making it for him but I didn't want anything too complicated. I searched and found directions for a microwave version online. I tested and tweaked it. I even threw out a couple batches because the cook time was too long and the brittle turned dark and tasted burnt. I learned not to use a rubber spatula for the stirring - it will melt (duh), and don't put wax paper on the cookie sheet to try to make it easier to get the brittle up after it cools - the wax melts (duh again)! Finally success. This is the recipe I used this year and my husband said it was better than any other brittle he had this holiday season. Also, when I made it and broke it apart I saved all the little scraps and sprinkled them on top of ice cream!

Christmas Mice Cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 c. margarine, softened
1 c. creamy peanut butter
1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
1/2 c. sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
peanuts
cinnamon candies
licorice shoelaces, cut in 3" pieces

Preheat oven to 350. Beat margarine and peanut butter at medium speed in mixing bowl. Slowly add sugars, beat well. Add egg and vanilla, beat well. Mix flour and soda together; slowly add to creamed mixture, mix well. Cover and chill 2 hours. Shape into 1" balls. Taper end of each ball to form tear-drop. Press one side flat and place flat side down onto ungreased cookie sheet 2" apart. Press sides of dough to raise backs of mice. Place nut halves for ears. Make a hole at the tail with a toothpick. Bake 9 minutes. Put red candy eyes, bake 1-2 minutes more. Insert tails. Cool.

These are labor-intensive but lots of fun for the kids to help with. They love seeing them on the cookie plate, and they love eating them too of course! We tried using M&M candies for the noses and the kids decided to use black sprinkles placed for the eyes instead of the cinnamon candies. They turned out very cute!

Butter Pecan Squares

Ingredients:

1/2 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 c. flour
2 c. chocolate chips
3/4 c. pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 350. In mixing bowl, cream butter, sugar, egg and vanilla till light and fluffy. Blend in the flour. Stir in 1 cup of the chocolate chips and 1/2 cup of pecans. Pour into greased 8" square baking dish. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with remaining 1 cup of chocolate chips. When the chips melt, spread evenly over top with knife. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup of pecans. Allow to cool and cut into squares. Makes 16 bars.

This was an untested recipe I had collected. We made these bars as part of our holiday baking. A good nutty, chocolaty treat.

Pretzel Kisses

Ingredients:

1 package chocolate kiss candy
1 package pretzel square/waffles
1 package plain M&M candy

Preheat oven to 170. Line the pretzels up on a cookie sheet. Unwrap kisses and place one kiss on the center of each pretzel square. Put them in the preheated oven for 4-6 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately press an M&M in the center of each melted kiss.

Delicious salty/sweet treat, and super easy. Use holiday colored M&M to make them extra festive, or certain colors for particular themed parties. You could use the mint flavor of the crispy M&Ms too. I like how they add that extra pop of color on our goodie trays, so much fun!

Brownie Candy Cups

Ingredients:

1 fudge brownie mix (family size, 9"x13" pan size)
2 eggs
1/3 c. water
1/4 c. vegetable oil
about 30 mini peanut butter cups

Preheat oven to 350. Place cupcake liners in muffin pans. In mixing bowl, combine brownie mix, eggs, water and oil. Stir with spoon until well blended, about 50 strokes. Place 2 level tablespoons of batter into each cupcake liner. Bake 10 minutes. While baking, remove the wrappers from the peanut butter cups. Remove the brownie cups from the oven and push 1 peanut butter cup candy into the center of each cupcake until even with the surface of the brownie. Bake 5-7 minutes longer. Cool completely.

This is a great way to pump up a regular brownie mix. I made these as part of our holiday goodie trays. Also it would be a fun thing to make for an OSU tailgate party.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Snacks

Ingredients:

1/2 c. corn syrup
1/2 c. chocolate chips
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. creamy peanut butter
3 cups corn cereal (Cap'n Crunch type)

Line cookie sheet with wax paper. Combine corn syrup, chocolate chips and sugar in microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds. Stir in peanut butter. Microwave on high 30 seconds more or until peanut butter is melted; stir until smooth. Stir in cereal until all pieces are evenly coated. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto prepared cookie sheet. Chill 30 minutes or until firm. Store in airtight container in refrigerator. Makes about 4 dozen.

These remind me of a crunchy caramel peanut butter cup. These are so quick and easy, and no baking required! Great anytime of year, also a great addition to the holiday goodie trays.

Buckeye Bars

Ingredients:

1 c. margarine
1+ lb. powdered sugar
1 1/2 c. creamy peanut butter
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Put 1 pound of powdered sugar in large bowl. In microwave-safe bowl, melt margarine and 1 cup of the peanut butter in the microwave for 45 seconds on high, stir to mix together. Add the melted margarine and peanut butter mixture to the powdered sugar and mix well. Add more powdered sugar as needed to form a stiff "dough." Pat the mixture into a 9"x13" glass pan. In microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips and the other 1/2 cup of peanut butter in the microwave for 1 minute on high (or until melted); stir this melted peanut butter and chocolate together and pour over the peanut butter layer in the glass pan. Refrigerate over night. Use a sharp knife and cut into bars (about 1"x1") and ENJOY!


These are a tailgating favorite. I like them better than buckeyes candy - they're so much easier than rolling the balls and dipping them, and they're the perfect combination of creamy and gooey. Go Bucks!

Perfectly Luscious Pecan Pie

Ingredients:

3 eggs, slightly beaten
1 c. light corn syrup
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. sugar
2 Tblsp. margarine, melted
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. pecan halves
1 frozen deep dish pie crust, unbaked

Preheat oven to 350. In large bowl, stir together eggs, margarine, corn syrup, vanilla, brown sugar and sugar until well blended. Stir in pecans. Pour into pastry shell. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool.

On one of our trips to visit Jim's family I went through his mom's recipe file and found this. I've made it a couple times and it really is perfectly luscious (and really simple!).

Triple Chocolate Mess

Ingredients:

1 pkg. devil's food cake mix
1 pint sour cream
1 pkg. chocolate instant pudding & pie filling mix
6 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 c. water

Spray crockpot with non-stick spray. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl until smooth. Pour mixture into crockpot. Cook on low 6-8 hours. Serve in a bowl with vanilla ice cream.

I found this recipe online a long time ago. I love the consistency, the combination of the pudding, cake and chocolate chips. When you scoop it into a bowl and add vanilla ice cream, the ice cream starts to melt and mix with the chocolate. So yummy, chocolate-y and rich - you'll want to dive right in!

Buckeye Cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 chocolate cake mix
1 c. peanut butter
12 oz. cream cheese
6 Tblsp. milk
4 Tblsp. sugar
4 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Line muffin tins with cupcake liners. Fill cupcake liners 1/2 full. Mix the filling: In a bowl, combine 1/2 cup of the peanut butter, 6 ounces of the cream cheese, 2 of the tablespoons of milk, and the 4 tablespoons of sugar. Mix it together into a stiff dough and roll into big gumball-sized balls (not as big as golfballs) and place in the center of the cake batter in each cupcake. Bake according to the cake box directions. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely. Make the frosting: In large mixing bowl put the other 1/2 cup of peanut butter, the remaining 4 tablespoons of milk and the other 6 ounces of cream cheese plus the vanilla. Slowly incorporate the powdered sugar, making sure the frosting doesn't get too thick.

When I made these I used the aluminum cupcake liners so I had the nice silver for the scarlet and gray tailgate party. I put the frosting on using a squeeze decorator so the tops were pretty, then I shaved dark chocolate on top (Giardelli extra dark chocolate bar using a vegetable peeler to shave pieces off) - you could substitute chocolate chips on top, some chocolate sprinkles, or even some Reese's pieces.

Today is a college football Saturday, so it's putting me in the mood for tailgate food. I got this recipe from a good friend of mine, Erin, who is a big OSU Buckeye fan. They are perfect for tailgate parties, though they are a little labor-intensive (but defnitely worth the trouble!). Thanks for the recipe Erin! (and thanks to Maria for taking the picture of them for me!)

Pumpkin Bites

Ingredients:
2 boxes of spice cake mix
1 29oz. can pure pack pumpkin (not the sweetened pumpkin pie filling...no, no, NO)
1 12oz. bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Dump both dry cake mixes in large mixing bowl. Add pumpkin and blend together well. Let dough sit 2-3 minutes, then stir in the chocolate chips. Batter will be very stiff. Drop dough by scant tablespoons onto cookie sheets, at least an inch apart from each other. Bake 12-15 minutes. Yield: Dozens of delicious pumpkin goodness.

My friend Denise made these for a work potluck last year. I loved them so I asked her for the recipe. You eat them like cookies but they remind you of muffins or cake and they're less messy. This was the first time I made them and it was so easy. And it made so many! I lost track of how many dozen I made. These are perfect for fall get-togethers - tailgating, Halloween parties, or marching band snacks. You can substitute carrot cake or other flavors of cake mix, but I've never tried those, just the spice cake mix. The house smelled like pumpkin spice for days afterward too.