Coconut Macaroons

This recipe is from my good friend, Theresa Preston who lives in Australia. This is the first macaroon recipe I've seen using the whole egg. I believe using the whole egg makes the macaroons taste so much better.

Her recipe is as follows:
1/2 pound coconut - sweetened flaked coconut you buy in the can or the bag
2-3 eggs depending on the size you buy. I always buy large eggs.
1/2 cup granulated sugar
and I added
1 teaspoon of vanilla flavoring

Mix together and either drop onto a greased cookie sheet, parchment paper, or a silicon baking sheet so they are easy to remove. Bake at 300 degrees until golden brown.

I made these for Easter dinner and shaped the macaroons into little nest before baking. You can see they turned out really cute using with Peeps and jelly beans. The next time I make these, I will be making them in small logs and dipping 1/2 of them into chocolate.

Simple Orange Cake

I was searching the internet for a new recipe a few days ago and ran across this recipe.  I found this recipe from Jill McKeever at Simple Daily Recipes.  I made it tonight and both Chilly and I really liked it.  Jill said it would be so good to get what we wanted and take the rest away because you will want to keep eating it.  She is 100% correct.

The recipe is as follows:
1 box of yellow cake mix
1 small box of orange gelatin
1 cup orange juice (the kind you drink
3/4 cup oil  (I used canola oil)
4 eggs
2-3 teaspoons orange zest

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Generously grease a bundt pan.

Beat cake mix, dry gelatin, orange juice, oil, eggs and zest in a large bowl on low speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed for 2 minutes or so.  Pour into the bundt pan.  Bake for 1 hour. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pan.  Meanwhile, mix up the orange glaze for the cake.

Orange Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
3 tablespoon orange juice
1 teaspoon orange zest

Whisk the powdered sugar, orange juice and zest in a small bowl.  After you move the cake to the serving plate and while the cake is still warm, prick the cake with a fork or toothpick.  Pour glaze evenly over the cake.  Allow the cake to completely cool before serving.

(((We couldn't wait for it to completely cool.  We had it while it was warm and it was delicious.)))

Thanks so much for this great recipe Jill.  I look forward to trying that Coconut pie too.  :-)
Stop in and check out Simple Daily Recipes when you get a chance. :-)

Pumpkin Crunch Cake

This recipe was just recently given to me by my dear friend, Catherine. I made it for the first time today and will be making it again. It is easy and taste delicious.

Pumpkin Crunch Cake
1 yellow cake mix
1 15 ounce can of pumpkin
1 5 oz. can of evaporated milk
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 cup melted butter
whipped topping (optional)

Grease a 9 X 13 X 2 pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix the pumpkin, milk, eggs, sugar, salt , and pumpkin pie spice together and pour into the cake pan.
Sprinkle the dry cake mix over the pumpkin mixture and then nuts on top of the mix. Pour the melted butter over the cake.

Bake for 55 minutes. Can be served warm or cold with or without whipped topping.

Applewood Farms Apple Fritters

This recipe came from a apple farm in Sevierville, Tennessee. They had a restaurant there on the property and gave this recipe to the people in their paper when they left the restaurant. These are very good and very light. I always double the recipe when making these because they are eaten so quickly.

Makes about 24 fritters.

Combine in bowl one-half cup of milk, one egg, and two tablespoons margarine. Add grated rind and juice from one-half an orange, one-half cup of chopped apples (skin can be left on), and one-half teaspoon vanilla. Sift together one-and-one-half cups cake flour, one-quarter teaspoon salt and one tablespoon baking powder. Stir in milk mixture with a spoon until blended. Drop batter by spoonfuls into one-half inch hot oil. (I use canola oil for frying). Fry to a golden brown. Drain.

****I made these as you can see from the picture. I did vary the recipe a bit though and liked the fritters even better. I added another 1/2 cup of flour, 1/2 cup of sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg. They were even better. I didn't cook all of the fritters at the same time. After the batter was in the refrigerator for a couple of days, the flavor of the fritters was better yet.****

Strawberry OR Cherry Butter Pretzel Salad

This salad is great with just about any kind of meat or chicken. I sometimes eat it myself as a dessert.

2 cups crushed butter pretzels (This is the secret to this recipe and Snyders of Hanover are the best pretzels we have here. These butter pretzels taste like pecans in the crust).
3/4 cup melted butter or margarine
3 Tablespoons granulated sugar

Stir together and press onto bottom of 9 x 13 inch casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Cool.

2 packages (3 oz.) cream cheese at room temperature
9 ounces Cool Whip or equivalent whipped topping
3/4 cup granulated sugar

Combine cream cheese and sugar, mix well. Fold in the Cool Whip. Spread over the pretzel crust, sealing the edges well. Chill at least 1 hour.

1 (6 ounce) package strawberry Jello
2 cups boiling water
2 (10 ounce) packages frozen strawberries

Dissolve the Jello in water. Stir in the frozen strawberries until thawed. Chill until almost set. Pour the Jello mixture over cheese mixture. Chill several hours before serving. Cut into squares. Yields 20 servings.


I tried a variation to this recipe for Thanksgiving. I used cherry Jello and 1 and 1/2 jars of sliced cold Maraschino cherries instead of the strawberries. I also added the juice from the one cherry jar since my cherries were not frozen. This was also delicious.

This is my oldest nieces favorite salad. She request that I make it each time she comes to my house for dinner or the family get togethers. I also had this requested to be served at a bridal shower since it is one of the brides favorites.

Toffee Graham Crackers

1 stack graham crackers broken into 1/4ths
2 sticks (1/2 pound) butter or margarine
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup very finely chopped nuts (I use pecans)
1 jelly roll pan

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix the above ingredients in a small boiler. Bring to a rolling boil for 3 minutes. Remove from heat.

Add 1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring.

Place the graham crackers flat on the jelly roll pan. Pour the liquid mixture over them. Place the pan in the oven and bake 5-8 minutes. Remove them from the pan after they are cooled.

No Bake Peanut Butter Bars

2 cups peanut butter, divided
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter or margarine softened
2 cups powdered sugar
2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 cups or 12 oz.  milk chocolate chips

Beat 1 1/4 cup of peanut butter and butter together.  Gradually add the sugar, graham crackers, and 1/2 cup of chocolate chips.  Firmly press the mixture into a 9 x 13 inch pan.  Melt the remaining peanut butter and chocolate in a microwave safe bowl.  Place the icing on the bars while hot.  After icing is spread, place in the refrigerator to firm up for a couple of hours.  Cut into small squares.
This taste very close to Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

Peanut Butter Bar

1 1/4 cup self rising flour.
1 cup of sugar.
1 cup of brown sugar.
1/2 cup of peanut butter.
1/2 cup of crisco.
4 eggs.
1 tablespoon of vanilla.
1 0z. semi-sweet chocolate chips. (optional)


Cream eggs, sugar, crisco, and peanut butter together.
Add flour until becomes creamy.
Add vanilla.
Stir in chocolate chips if desired.
Pam a 10x14 clear casserole dish and pour in. (I use a big dish so NOT TO FILL TO TOP because it will rise and run over! and oh boy, what a mess it is.)
Bake at 350 for 25 to 30 minutes.

Cooking Time: Depends on how the temp works on your oven. I've found cooking time to be different on different ovens. You can check with toothpick. If toothpick comes out dry, it's done.

If you love peanut butter, you will want to hide this all to yourself. ;)