Chocolate Decadent Pie

 This one was absolutely delicious and lived up to the name. My initial try at whipped topping was way too liquidy, so I've edited to just use Reddi-Whip or something similar. Despite my less than stellar first try, it disappeared rather quickly and everyone requested I make this one again. Adult supervision is required, especially when using the oven.

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 c Thin Mints, crushed
• 1 1/4c Trefoils, crushed (about 1 1/2 sleeves)
• 1/4 c sugar
• 1/3 c butter, melted
• 1 1/2 c milk chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 c white chocolate chips
• 1 c sweetened condensed milk (divided)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (divided)
• 1 1/2 whipped cream (spray bottle the easiest)

Directions (Total prep time: 90 min)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. 
2. Spray the inside of a 9" pie pan with non-stick cooking spray.
3. In a bowl, combine Trefoil cookie crumbs, sugar and melted butter.
4. Press mixture firmly into sprayed pie pan, covering bottom and sides. 
5. Bake 5-7min. 
6. Set aside to cool.
7. While crust is baking, you can use a microwave safe bowl to combine milk chocolate chips, 1/2c condensed milk and 1/2 tsp of vanilla. Alternative: combine all ingredients and melt in a small double-boiler. 
8. Stir until all chips are melted and pour into bottom of cooled crust. 
9. Set in freezer while preparing the second layer.
10. For the second layer, use a microwave safe bowl to combine white chocolate chips, 1/2 c condensed milk and 1/2 tsp vanilla. Alternative: combine all ingredients and melt in a small double-boiler. 
11. When the first layer has cooled sufficiently, pour the second layer over top. 
12. Refrigerate pie for at least 30min to allow both layers to solidify sufficiently. 
13. Top pie with whipped cream. 
14. Sprinkle/decorate the pie with crushed Thin Mint cookies. 

Grandma Spackman's Fudge Frosting

Grandma Spackman’s Fudge Frosting.

My mother is a tough connoisseur of frosting. She calls it her "crack cocaine." The other day she let me know she has officially switched to a new method of making chocolate frosting. What?! Impossible! So, I thought it would be worth sharing her valuable nugget of information. Interestingly enough, it’s her mother-in-law’s recipe. Somehow my mother skipped over it all these years. Anyway...here’s the recipe in my grandma’s words. (P.S. She’s Canadian)

The following is an easy substitute for real fudge icing (or frosting as you Americans say it) and is very good. I seldom use real fudge icing anymore and I don’t have the recipe with me – I usually just remember it.

Fudge Icing

2 cups sugar (powdered)

½ cup cocoa

Mix together and add

1 cup cream and

½ cup butter

Bring to a boil stirring constantly and then boil 5 minutes only. Let cool. Beat with mixer adding 4 or more cups of icing (or powdered in U.S.) sugar until of the spreading consistency. If it gets a little too stiff add a little more cream. Ice the cake. It will be wonderful.

Coffee Cake

This is the recipe we used at the Easter Brunch! Enjoy!!

Cake:
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 beaten egg
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cup flower
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Combine oil, egg, and milk. Sift together dry ingredients. Add to the milk mixture and mix well. Pour in a 9 inch square pan.

Topping: (I usually make a little bit more of this, cause, well I love it!)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon melted butter
1/2 cup chopped nuts
(swirl into the cake)

Bake at 375 for around 25 minutes

{Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies}

What an awesome Valentine's Day Cookie Exchange party we had here on the island!!
I'm still high from sugar overload but I hope the rest of you will post your amazing recipes on the blog for us to enjoy :)

These should just be called, "death by chocolate cookies"...

Cream together:
1 ½ cups softened butter
1 ½ cup brown sugar
½ cup sugar
Add and beat until fluffy:
2 large room temperature eggs
1 teaspoons vanilla
Add and beat well:
1 large package of Instant Chocolate pudding mix
Combine just till well mixed:
2 cups oats measured and then ground
2 1/3 cups flour
1 T. baking soda
2 cups white chocolate chips

Shape into perfect little balls and bake at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes. Then, enjoy your warm cookies! I even like them better the next day :)

Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Cookies

Hi all! Thanks for letting me contribute to this blog!

I found this delicious recipe online. I love it because it’s a great way to use overly ripe bananas and neither the peanut butter nor banana flavors are overpowering – it’s a perfect balance. They also stay soft for days! I sometimes double the recipe to make more because everyone who has tried them LOVES them...they always ask for more. Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp butter, room temperature
1 large egg
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup mashed banana (1 sm/med)
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats (not instant)

Preheat oven to 350F (175C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (foil works too).
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a large bowl, cream together sugars and butter. Beat in egg until smooth, then mix in the peanut butter and mashed banana. Working by hand or with a mixer on low speed, blend dry ingredients into the peanut butter mixture. Stir in the oats.

Shape dough into tablespoons and place on baking sheet, flattening each slightly with your fingers or a spoon.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, until cookies just begin to turn golden around the edges.

Makes approx 20 cookies

Magic Cookie Bars!

(picture courtesy of google images)

Sorry this took me so long to post ladies! Enjoy!!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter of margarine, melted

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1 (14 oz.) can EAGLE Brand sweetened condensed milk (or whatever is available!)

2 Cups semisweet chocolate morsels

1 1/3 cups flaked coconut

1 cup chopped nuts

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees ( 325 degrees for glass dish). Coat 13x9-inch baking pan with no-stick cooking spray.

2. Combine graham cracker crumbs and butter. Press into bottom of prepared pan. Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over crumb mixture. Layer evenly with chocolate chips, coconut and nuts. Press down firmly with a fork.

3. Bake 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool. Cut into bars or diamonds. Store covered at room temperature.

ENJOY! And don't feel bad if you eat more than 5 in a sitting...i do it all the time :)

Fresh Peach Pie

1. 1 baked graham cracker crust
2. Slice fresh peaches inside crust
3. Pour 1 can sweetened condensed milk mixed with 1/3 c lemon juice

When ready to serve, top with whipped cream.

~ my great-grandma Tanner's recipe

Oatmeal Cake: don't let the title fool you.

This is super duper delicious.

1 cup oatmeal
1 1/4 c boiling water
1/2 c butter or margarine
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 1/2 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 nutmeg

Heat oven to 350.
Put oatmeal in a medium bowl. Pout boiling water over oatmeal and cover. Let stand 10 minutes. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars together. Add vanilla, eggs, softened oatmeal, flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix. Pour batter into a sprayed or greased and floured 9 inch square pan.
Bake 50-55 minutes.

Frosting
1/4 c butter, melted
1/2 c brown sugar
3 tbsp half and half or evaporated milk
1/3 chopped nuts
3/4 c coconut

In a medium bowl, mix butter, brown sugar, and half-and-half. Stir in nuts and coconut. Frost warm cake. Place cake under broiler and brown until bubbly, watching carefully so that it does not burn.

** My sister makes some very yummy modifications. She pours the cake mixture into a 9x13 pan and cuts the baking time in half until it's just barely done. Then she doubles the frosting. I tasted her product and it was heaven.**

Mint Brownies

1 cup melted margarine (I always use butter, it works great)

2 ½ squares unsweetened chocolate (melt it in the butter)

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

½ tsp. Peppermint Extract (not mint, peppermint)

1 ½ cup flour

½ tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

Mix together wet ingredients, then add dry ingredients until mixed well. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes (cool completely)

Frosting

6 T of margarine

4 T of evaporated milk

2 cups powdered sugar

½ tsp peppermint extract

Green food coloring

Mix together well and spread on cooled brownie. Put in freezer for about an hour to allow it to set.

Chocolate top layer

1 cup or more chocolate chips and 4 T butter. Melt together and spread over mint frosting, refrigerate to set. (sometimes 1 cup is enough and sometimes I have to make a bit more to cover, it just depends on how your brownie bakes up.)

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Here's a recipe I stumbled across trying to use up wheat flour someone gave me. A little healthier than the buttery Toll House recipe. I thought they turned out delicous. I used semi-sweet chocolate chips instead of the dark chocolate the recipe calls for.

1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 cup quick cooking oats
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips (such as Ghirardelli chocolate chips or Hershey's special dark chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat butter and sugars with an electric mixer. Beat in egg and vanilla. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Stir flour mixture into sugar mixture until well combined. Stir in oats, then chocolate chips. Roll dough into walnut-sized balls and place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 10-12 minutes.
Makes 30 cookies.

Tapioca Pudding

This recipe is timed by 5 so you may want to cut it down a bit. It makes a lot!

1 2/3 cups sugar
5 eggs separated
15 Tablespoons tapioca
10 cups milk
5/8 teaspoon salt (do not confuse this with 5 to 8 teaspoons. if you do, it will make a very salty tapioca. haha)
3 1/3 teaspoons vanilla

Separate eggs. Beat whites until foamy, add 10 teaspoons sugar and beat until smooth and stiff. Set aside. Mix milk, remaining sugar, egg yolks, tapioca and salt. let stand 5 min. Cook tapioca mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly until it comes to a full boil and is slightly thickened. (6-8 min) Remove from heat and VERY slowly add hot mixture to egg whites stirring rapidly to blend well. (If you add it too quickly it will cook the egg whites.) Add vanilla and cool.

Lemon Squares

1/2 c. powdered sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
2 c. flour
1 c. butter

Mix above in order listed. Bake in a 9x13 pan for 15 minutes at 350. Remove from oven and spread with the following mixture:

2 c. granulated sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
4 eggs, slightly beaten
4 T lemon juice and zest
1/4 c flour

Return to oven and bake 20 minutes longer at 350.

When cool, sprinkle with powdered sugar or spread with the following glaze:

4 T lemon juice
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
2 T melted butter.

Better than Sex Cake

1 pkg. German chocolate cake mix
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 jar caramel, butterscotch or fudge ice cream topping
1 (8 oz.) Cool Whip
1 Heath candy bar, grated

Bake cake as directed on package (9 x 13 inch pan) and let cool. With a wooden spoon handle, punch holes about one inch apart over entire cake. Pour whole can of sweet milk into holes. Pour entire jar of topping over cake. Pour entire container of Cool Whip over the topping. Spread grated Heath bar over all.

* lots of ways to make this cake, you can also use a Devils Food Cake mix.

Cake Mix Cookies

Snickerdoodles

1 pkg yellow or white cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 c oil
1 tsp vanilla

Mix together and roll into balls. Dough is pretty sticky and may need to refrigerate for a bit. Roll into cinnamon and sugar. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

Sugar Cookies

1 pkg white cake mix
2 eggs
1/2 c oil

Mix together and roll into balls or flatten and cut into shapes. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

Chocolate Cookies

1 pkg chocolate cake mix
1/2 c butter softened
2 eggs
1 c white choc chips

Mix together and roll into balls. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

Sugar Cookies

Sugar Cookies

Preheat oven 375 degrees F.
1 1/2 C. powdered sugar
1 C. softened butter
1 (8 ounce) package of cream cheese
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
1 1/2 C. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cream of tarter
1 tsp. almond extract

Cream powdered sugar and butter. Add egg, vanilla and almond extract. combine flour, baking soda and cream of tarter and add to mixture. Add cream cheese and thoroughly incorporate it into the dough mixture. Place dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 hours or place in the freezer for 30 minutes. Flour and roll out 1/2" thickness. Bake for 10 minutes.

Frosting
3 C. powdered sugar
1/3 C. softened butter
2 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract
Mix all ingredients.

Luscious Four-Layer Pumpkin Cake

Luscious Four-Layer Pumpkin Cake
1 pkg. yellow cake mix
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin, divided
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
1 ½ tsp. pumpkin pie spice, divided
1 pkg. (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tub (8 oz) Cool Whip whipped topping thawed
¼ cup caramel topping
½ cup pecans

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour 2 (9 in.) round cake pans. Beat cake mix, 1 cup pumpkin, milk, oil, eggs, and 1 tsp. of the pumpkin spice in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Pour evenly into prepared pans. Bake 20 to 22 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool completely on wire racks.

Meanwhile, beat cream cheese in small bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Add powdered sugar, remaining pumpkin, and ½ tsp. pumpkin pie spice, mix well. Stir in whipped topping.

Remove cooled cake layers from pans; cut each layer horizontally in half with a serrated knife. Stack the layers on a serving plate, spread the cream cheese mixture between the layers. Do not frost the top layer. Drizzle with caramel topping and pecans. Store in refrigerator.

Mango Moose

I found THIS on the mission website. I thought maybe it would something we'd all like!!

Praline Cookies

15 Graham crackers (roughly)
1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup pecans
1 tsp vanilla (opt)

Preheat oven to 350. Melt butter in sauce pan. Add brown sugar and vanilla. Bring to a boil and keep it boiling for 1 minute. Meanwhile, lay out graham crackers in greased 9x13 pan. Pour in pecans while the sauce is still hot. Pour mixture over the crackers. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes then move the cookies to wax paper or a plate.

SO EASY and SO YUMMY!

Casey's Slush Berry Dessert!

Ok, here is one of my favorite dessert recipes!! It is very refreshing and you can make it here in Grenada, plus it is easy. It is the total package!

Ingredients:
- 1/2 gallon of Pineapple sherbet ( I buy the Blue Bunny tub they have here)
- 1 (12 oz) bag of frozen raspberries
- 3-4 banana's sliced (firm)
- 1 can of crushed pineapple (drained)

(I usually use half the tub of ice cream, a little more than half the raspberries, 3 banana's and a can of crushed pineapple)

Soften sherbet, and mix everything together. Put back in freezer for a couple of min. so everything can slush up. Enjoy and think about eating more and more and more of this,....forever. Ha! j/k.