Chocolate Torte

Karla Chambers

1st layer:

3/4 cup butter

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup pecans, chopped

Cut butter into flour with knife, add pecans, and press into a 9x13 pan and bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Cool.

2nd layer:

1- 8 ounce cream cheese, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

1 cup cool whip

Mix together, then spread on cooled crust.

3rd layer:

1 large package chocolate instant pudding

3 cups milk

Mix together, then spread on top of 2nd layer.

Chill in refrigerator. Top with whipped cream and garnish with fresh strawberries if desired.

Homemade Oreo Cookies

Ashley Mason

Mix together:

1 package Devils Food Cake mix

2 eggs

1/4 oil

Roll into small balls. (I usually press them flat with a fork because they don't seem to flatten on their own.) Bake at 350 for 8 minutes.

Cool and frost one cookie (I like to use cream cheese frosting). Top with another cookie to make a homemade Oreo cookie sandwich!

Rolo Cookies

Melanie Warnes

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2 1/4 cups flour

3/4 cup cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

40 rolos

Beat butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla. In another bowl combine flour, cocoa, and soda. Stir into egg mixture to form soft dough. Chill in fridge at least an hour. Place on Tablespoon of dough in palm of hand and press flat. Put one Rolo candy in the center. Bring up sides of dough between palms to make a smooth ball. Roll cookie ball in sugar, place on greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes or until tops crack.

Monster Cookies

Karla Chambers (from the Standard Examiner)

1 1/2 cups butter

2 1/2 cups brown sugar

2 cups sugar

6 eggs

3 cups peanut butter, extra crunchy

2 Tbsp light corn syrup

4 tsp baking soda

2 tsp vanilla

9 cups quick oats

1 large package M&Ms, plain

1 package chocolate chips, optional

Use ice cream scoop to form dough balls and place on cookie sheet. Bake at 350.

(This recipe makes a 'monstrous' amount of cookies!)

Cherry Berry Trifle

Karla Chambers

(adapted from Susan Stokes' recipe)

1 - 14 ounce Angel Food Cake, broken into 1 inch pieces

1 - 8 ounce Lite Cool Whip

1 - 1/3 ounce instant fat free vanilla pudding, prepared following package directions

1 - 20 ounce Cherry Pie Filling, lite

plus

1 - 20 ounce Berry Pie Filling (or berry jam with fresh or frozen berried added or whole cranberry sauce, etc.)

Almonds, sliced.

Layer in a 3 quart clear glass (trifle) serving bowl.

*** use only 1/2 of the portions in each layer

Layer #1 Angel Food Cake (using only 1/2 the ingredient portions)

Layer #2 Cool Whip and Vanilla Pudding, stirred together

Layer #3 Cherry Pie Filling and Berry Filling, stirred together

Layers #4, #5, #6: repeat layers #1, #2, #3

Top with almonds.

Refrigerate overnight.

Yum! Yum!

Caramel Pretzels

Karla Chambers

Mini pretzels

Rolo Caramels

Pecans or Walnuts

Space pretzels on cookie sheet. Top each pretzel with a Rolo caramel. Place in 350 degree oven for about 2 minutes- until caramel is soft. Remove from oven. Immediately press half of a pecan or walnut on top. Cool and enjoy!

Rice Chex Treats

Bonnie Winward

Microwave in glass bowl for 5 minutes:

1-1/2 cubes Butter

1 cup Karo

1 cup Sugar

1 dash Salt

Stir and microwave 2 more minutes. Then stir in:

1 teaspoon Vanilla

1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda

Pour over a mixture of:

1 small box Rice Chex

1-1/2 cups sliced almonds

2 cups coconut

Pumpkin Spice Cookies

Ashley Mason

1 box Spice Cake mix

1 15 ounce can pumpkin

1 egg

chocolate chips (optional)

walnuts (optional)

Mix cake mix, egg, and pumpkin. Add chips and nuts if desired.

Bake at 350 degrees until lightly browned (approximately 10 minutes).

Raspberry Layered Dessert

Shar Fletcher

Layer 1-

Combine and spread in 9 x 13 pan. Bake 5 minutes at 400 degrees, then cool:

2 cups pretzels, crushed

6 tablespoons margarine, melted

3 tablespoons sugar

Layer 2-

Mix together. Fold into Cool Whip:

8 ounces cream cheese

1 cup sugar

8 ounces Cool Whip

1 can pineapple, crushed and drained

Layer 3-

Dissolve Jello and set partially. Stir in frozen berries.

1 large box raspberry Jello

2 cups water, boiling

1 package raspberries, frozen, no juice

Know Gelatin, optional (if going to set out for a while)

Peppermint Bark

Karla Chambers

Combine and spread on greased cookie sheet:

almond bark, melted

lots of mini candy canes, crushed

Before it sets up in the cooky sheet, top with additional crushed candy canes.

Cookie Peanut Butter Cups

Michelle Deaton

1 ready-made package of sugar cookie dough

1 bag Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

Press cookie dough into greased mini muffin tins and bake. Then place one Reese's Cup into each baked cookie shell. Cool. Enjoy!

Truffles

Melanie Chambers Warnes

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

2-1/2 boxes (20 squares) Bakers chocolate, melted

Whip cream cheese; stir in 8 squares melted chocolate.

Refrigerate until filling is firm enough to roll into balls (2 hours).

Roll into balls and dip completely in (remaining 12 squares) melted chocolate. Refrigerate.