Blueberry Pound Cake

I found this recipe years ago (maybe 1998?) in a Cooking Light Magazine. It was on the cover and I bought that issue just for this recipe. Isn't it always a treat to find a yummy recipe that calls for a bundt pan?! I first made it for my mother-in-law’s birthday and it was delicious. It is a hit every time, although it’s getting harder to find lemon yogurt. This last time I used “Lemon Chiffon” Publix-brand yogurt. (If it comes to it, I suspect plain yogurt and a ½ tsp lemon extract may make a good substitute.)

2 cups granulated sugar
½ cup butter
½ (8oz) block of 1/3-less fat cream cheese, softened
3 large eggs
1 large egg white
3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (I use fresh)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 (8oz) carton lemon low-fat yogurt
2 tsp vanilla extract
Cooking spray
½ cup powdered sugar
4 tsp lemon juice (approx juice from 2 lemons)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Beat first 3 ingredients at medium speed in mixer until well blended (about 5 minutes). Add eggs and egg white, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cups, leveling with knife. Combine 2 T. flour and blueberries in a small bowl and toss to coat. Combine remaining flour, baking powder, soda, and salt. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternating with yogurt, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Fold in blueberries & their flour. Fold in vanilla extract.
Pour batter into a 10-inch tube or bundt pan coated with cooking spray.
Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean.
Cool cake in pan for 10 minutes; then remove from pan. Combine powdered sugar and lemon juice in small bowl and drizzle over warm cake.

Yield 16 servings.
287 calories per serving

Mint Brownies

Makes 12 muffins

1 box brownie mix (I use Ghirardelli Double Chocolate or Chocolate Chunk mix)
1 egg, oil & water as directed on box
York Peppermint Patties, chopped (approximately 12 small or 4-5 large)
Powdered sugar to garnish

Generously spray 9x9 pan or 12-muffin pan with Pam. Preheat oven as directed on brownie box.

Prepare brownie batter as directed. Spoon muffin tins half full with batter. Gently push in 3-4 pieces of peppermint patties (approximately 1 small patty per muffin tin) into batter. Top with remaining batter. (If baking in 9x9, spoon in half of batter, layer chopped patties generously and cover with remaining batter.)

Bake as directed on box – they will bake quicker if using muffin pan.

Cool completely on wire rack. Using small knife gently loosen brownies in muffin tins and remove from muffin tin. Keep brownies upside down and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Store in air tight container up to 3 days (although they never last that long at my house).

Monster Cookies

This is Arianne Berndt's recipe. She gets all the credit. Occasionally I've heard her mention that she was craving "Monster cookies"....hum, finally I asked for the recipe and I'm so glad I did. Don't be fooled by the ingredients - they don't taste like PB cookies or oatmeal cookies...it's just the right amount of each ingredient and the flavor is spectacular. These cookies are unbelievably good. Arianne said she's stored them in the freezer and they thaw to same-day baked perfection.
I made a 1/2 batch to take to a picnic yesterday and folks raved about them & admitted that they ate 2, 3, 4 cookies. Thank you, Arianne!!

Arianne's Monster Cookies
12 eggs
2 lb. brown sugar
4 cups white sugar
1 T. vanilla
1 T. Karo light corn syrup
8 tsp. baking soda
1 lb. butter or margarine (I used margarine)
3 lb. peanut butter (I used creamy)
18 cups oatmeal (Arianne recommends combination of quick cooking & old fashioned)
1 lb. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 lb. M&Ms

Mix ingredients in order listed above in very large bowl (by hand). Drop onto greased cookie sheet with ice cream scoop and flatten with fork. Make 6 cookies per sheet - they spread out. (I re-sprayed cookie sheet each time.) Bake 12 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool slightly on cookie sheet before transferring to cooling rack. Makes 20 dozen.

Pear Cake

Looking for something fruity, light and out-of-the-norm? This is an easy Kraft recipe.

1 egg
1/2 cup sour cream
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1 box yellow cake mix (or lemon or spice cake mix)
7 T. butter, melted & divided
1 (15 oz) can pear halves, drained & sliced into 1/2 inch wedges
1 (4-serving) package Jello lemon flavor gelatin
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 350.
Beat egg, sour cream, cream cheese, and cake mix in large bowl with electric mixer on low speed just until cake mix is moistened. Blend in 4 T. of the butter. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes. The batter will be thick.
Spread batter into lightly greased 9x13 baking pan. Arrange pear wedges evenly on batter, pressing lightly into batter. Sprinkle evenly with dry gelatin mix and cinnamon. Drizzle remaining 3 T. melted butter; sprinkle with walnuts.
Bake 40-45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Serve warm or at room temperature. Cut into 24 pieces. Store covered and in refrigerator.

Chocolate Chunk Caramel Brownies

This is a recipe from my life-long friend Mary Dean. She is the ultimate baker. I mean ultimate baker. (This is just one of the reasons I'm happy we're friends!) I pulled out this recipe to bake and bring to a dinner party this coming weekend. When I was talking to Mary about it she reminded me the first time I had these brownies. She had made them and after a few bites I said, "These are so rich. This might be the first brownie I can't finish." Well, I believe I did finish it but it took a long time. This would be a good brownie to serve with vanilla ice cream or serve many people with smaller cut portions.

4 squares Baker's unsweetened baking chocolate
3/4 cup butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 cup flour
1 (14oz) package caramels
1/3 cup whipping cream
2 cups pecans (or walnuts)
1 (12 oz) package semi-sweet chocolate chunks

Line 9x13 pan with foil and generously grease foil. Preheat oven to 350.
Microwave chocolate squares and butter on high for 2 minutes or until butter is melted. Stir until completely melted. Stir in sugar until blended. Mix in eggs and flour. Spread half of batter into foiled & greased pan. Bake for 25 minutes until firm to the touch.
Microwave caramels and cream until caramels begin to melt. Stir until smooth.
Stir in 1 cup nuts and spread caramel/nut mixture over brownie.
Sprinkle half of chocolate chunks on top of caramel layer.
Pour remaining brownie batter evenly over top then add layer of nuts and chunks.
Bake additional 30 minutes or until firm to the touch.
Cool on wire rack and remove from pan & peel foil.

Makes 24 very rich and delicious brownies.