Chocolate Banana Licuados

I just made this up as a throwback to our 2009 Honduras trip.  There are three things that are memorable about Honduras:

1) Taking a quick dip in the ocean on a hot day only to be horrified by a maxi pad floating by in the water
2) Swine flu
3) Licuados and baleadas  (a quesadilla-type concoction with beans, meat, cheese, avocado...whatever the cook thinks of to throw in...sounds ok but easy to get tired of these babys)

So my favorite take-away from the now "murder capitol of the world" are licuados.  These frozen concoctions are a little piece of heaven when you are beating the pavement looking for a hotel or the next tourist stop.  The basic essence is a blended drink made with milk, ice and fruit.  You will find places that blend cereal in as well but I never tried it because soggy cereal isn't really my thing.  My favorite flavor was chocolate banana.  They use cocoa powder to make it chocolate which at first is a little strange, but actually really grew on me.  The combo is delicious.  So here's my best crack at it here at home and it tastes pretty close to what you get down there.  Oh, and to get the authentic experience, pour the finished product into a clear cellophane bag, insert straw and tie the bag shut around the straw.

2 cups milk
4 heaping tablespoons Nestle Quik (more or less to taste)
14-16 ice cubes
1 banana

Put it all in the blender and process till smooth.  That's it!

Fruita Tart

This recipe is courtesy of my sissy, Melissa, who lives in Fruita, CO and is a pro at making these. She perfected these for my wedding reception. I made it for mothers day this year and the filling went off without a hitch but the crust didn't work out so well so I'll ask Melissa what I did wrong and then update this. The crust tasted great but didn't roll out so well and then melted down the sides of the pan so it didn't extend up the sides of the dish. Oh well--still tasty!

Crust:
1/2 lb (2 sticks) butter, softened
2/3 c packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 t baking powder
1/8 t salt
1 1/2 t clear vanilla
2 1/3 c all-purpose flour

Beat butter and sugar on med speed until very fluffy and well blended. Add the egg, baking powder, salt and vanilla and beat until well combined. Stir in flour until well blended and smooth.

Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 3-4 hrs. Divide dough in half and roll out to 1/8" to 1/4" thick on a lightly floured surface. Place in tart pan, press into fluted edges and bottom gently and press of excess to make smooth, crisp edges.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 7-10 mins, checking every minute after 7 mins. Remove from oven and let cool completely. Place crust in gallon sized bag and store in freezer until ready to serve.

Filling:
1/2 c whipping cream
1-8oz pkg cream cheese
1/3 c sugar
2 t milk
1 t clear vanilla

Chill a medium mixing bowl and beaters of mixer. In the chilled bowl, beat whipping cream with mixer on med speed until soft peaks form; set aside.

In a small mixing bowl beat cream cheese and sugar with electric mixer on med speed until fluffy. Add milk and vanilla; beat until smooth. Gently fold in whipping cream. Turn mixture into cooled, thawed crust.

Place fruit on tart. Brush apple jelly topping on top of fruit to seal in color and flavor.

Apple Jelly Topping
1 c apple or apricot jelly
2 T water

Heat jelly until melted. Simmer for 1 min; add water to thin and boil for a while.

Coconut Tea Cake

(from Dorie Greenspan’s Baking: From My Home to Yours)

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk (stir well before measuring)
• 1/2 stick (4 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
• 4 large eggs, preferably at room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp dark rum (optional, but so good)
• 3/4 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened or sweetened), toasted or not

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9- or 10-inch (10-to-12-cup) Kugelhopf or Bundt pan, or use an unbuttered silicone pan. Don’t place the pan on a baking sheet – you want the oven’s heat to circulate through the inner tube.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together.

Pour the coconut milk into a small saucepan, add the butter and heat until the milk is hot and the butter is melted. Remove from the heat, but keep warm.

Working with a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar at medium-high speed until pale, thick and almost doubled in volume, about 3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and the rum, if you’re using it. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed and stopping just when the flour disappears.

Keeping the mixer on low, add the coconut, mixing only until it is blended, then steadily add the hot milk and butter. When the mixture is smooth, stop mixing and give the batter a couple of turns with a rubber spatula, just to make certain that any dry ingredients that might have fallen to the bottom of the bowl are incorporated. Pour the batter into the pan and give the pan a few back-and-forth shakes to even the batter.

Bake for 60-65 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown and a thin knife inserted deep into the center comes out clean. Transfer the cake to a rack and cool for 10 minutes before unmolding onto the rack to cool to room temperature

Lime Squares with Pistachio-Graham Cracker Crust

Another great recipe from Martha Stewart. I used cashews instead of pistachios because they are so much cheaper and it worked fine. I also put some lime zest in the filling because my limes weren't super juicy and I thought it needed more flavor. It was a super easy recipe and tasted great!

Crust:

4 T melted butter, plus more for pan

2/3 c shelled pistachios

1 c graham cracker crumbs

1/4 c sugar

1 T grated lime zest

Filling:

2 large egg yolks

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

1/2 c fresh lime juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush pan with melted butter. Line bottom with 8-inch parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides.

In a food processor, finely grind nuts with graham cracker crumbs (or just throw the crackers in whole and make crumbs in one step), sugar and lime zest. Blend in butter. Press mixture into bottom of pan and 1 inch up sides. Bake until lightly browned, 8-10 mins. Cool crust 30 mins.

Whisk together egg yolks and sweetened condensed milk. Add lime juice; whisk until smooth. Pour filling into crust and spread to edges.

Bake until set, 15 mins. Cool in pan on rack. Refrigerate 1 hour before serving. Lift out of pan with parchment paper and cut with serrated knife.

Raspberry Pretzel Jello Salad

Bottom Layer
2 cups crushed pretzels
3/4 cup butter, melted
3 Tbs. sugar
Mix butter and sugar together. Stir in pretzels. Pat out into a 9x13 pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool and set aside.

Middle Layer
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
8 oz. cool whip, thawed
1 cup sugar
Beat the cream cheese until smooth. Mix in the sugar. Gently stir in the cool whip. Spread over the cooled pretzel layer.

Top Layer
3 cups boiling water
1 large pkg. raspberry Jello
16-20 oz. frozen raspberries
Stir Jello and water together until dissolved. Add frozen raspberries. Stir until the raspberries are separated and soft. Pour gently onto the cream cheese layer. Refrigerate several hours or overnight.

Pineapple Pops

These are seriously good...in the summer...probably not as good when it's 40 degrees and rainy :(

1 14.5oz can pineapple
1/3 c milk
1/4 c sugar

Blend in the blender. Pour into popsicle molds or dixie cups, insert popsicle stick and freeze.

Chocolate-Coconut Bars

3 c finely ground cookies (graham crackers, oreos, combination)

1/4 c sugar

3/4 c butter, melted

1 c pecan pieces (or walnuts)

1 c semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks

1 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk

1 1/2 c sweetened, shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 10x15" baking sheet with parchment or foil.

In a large bowl stir together cookie crumbs, sugar and butter until combined. Evenly press into bottom and sides of lined baking sheet. Bake, rotating half way through, 10 mins. Transfer to a wire rack to cool ~20mins.

Sprinkle cooled crust evenly with nuts and chocolate. Pour condensed milk over the top, spreading to cover completely (do not let it drip over edge to avoid sticking). Sprinkle with coconut.

Bake until coconut is toasted, 10-15 mins. Transfer to rack, cool completely. Cut evenly into pieces.

Coconut Bread Pudding

butter for baking dishes

1 loaf white country bread (1 lb), cut into 1" cubes

4 large eggs

3/4 c granulated sugar

1 can (13.5oz) coconut milk

2 c whole milk

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt

confectioner's sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with rack in center. Butter eight 6-oz ramekins or custard cups; set aside. Arrange bread in a single layer on two rimmed baking sheets; bake until crisp, tossing once, 15-20 mins. Remove from oven. Reduce heat to 300 degrees.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together eggs, granulated sugar, milks, cinnamon, vanilla and salt. Stir in toasted bread; let sit, tossing occasionally, until bread has absorbed liquid, about 5 mins.

Divide bread mixture evenly among ramekins. Place on a baking sheet; bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a pudding comes out clean, 50 mins to 1 hour. Let cool. Serve dusted with confectioners' sugar

Peppermint Fluff Brownies

The peppermint fluff in this recipe is what is really special. It is so light and non-greasy--perfect for brownies. You could even make up a box mix and top it with the peppermint fluff for a short cut.

3/4 c unsalted butter

6 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped

3 eggs

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 c dark brown sugar

3/4 c granulated sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 c sifted flour

3/4 c chopped walnuts

Cracked peppermint candies

1 recipe peppermint fluff

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x13 pan with foil or parchment, allowing edges to hang over.

Melt butter and chocolate in microwave or a double broiler; cool slightly. In a bowl, whisk together eggs, salt, sugars and vanilla; whisk in melted chocolate. Fold in flour until just combined. Stir in walnuts.

Spread batter in an even layer in pan. Bake until toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs, 20-22 mins (don't over bake). Cool completely in pan.

Make topping and spread over brownies; let set at room temperature, 30 mins. Lift brownies from pan using the parchment overhang. Lightly coat knife with cooking spray, then trim 1/4" off crisp edges of brownies to make clean sides. Cut brownies into squares, cleaning knife after every cut. Sprinkle candy over top.

Peppermint Fluff

Make this when you are ready to frost cooled brownies. In a heat-prrof bowl over a pot of simmering water, combine 1 c sugar, 4 eggwhites and a pinch of salt. Whisk until sugar is dissolved completely and mixture is hot, about 5 mins. Remove from heat, add 1/4 tsp peppermint extract and 3-4 drops red food coloring and whip with electric mixer until mixture holds firm peaks, about 9 mins.

Makes 24 2 1/2" squares

Baked Rice Pudding

This is one of my favs. I like to double it (use a 9x13 pan) and eat it for breakfast for several days--yum!

3 eggs, beaten

1 1/2 c milk

1/3 c sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 c cooked rice

Beat first four ingredients, but do not make foamy. Stir in cooked rice. Pour into 1.5 qt baking dish. Sprinkle cinnamon or nutmeg on top. Place baking dish in a larger dish and fill larger dish with 1 inch of boiling water. Bake for 45-55 mins at 325 degrees or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

Cherry Surprise Dessert

14 oz pkg marshmallows

1 1/4 cup milk

1 1/2 cup cream

20 graham crackers

1/3 cup melted butter

3 Tbsp Sugar

1 can cherry pie filling or 1 can of sour cherries sweetened and thickened

Dissolve marshmallows and milk in a double broiler. Cool until beginning to congeal stirring many times.

Whip cream and fold into marshmallow mixture. Crush graham crackers and mix with butter and sugar.

Pack into 9x13 pan, saving part of the crumb mixture for top of dessert. Pour half of marshmallow mixture over crumbs. Add cherry pie filling for second layer and top with remaining marshmallow mixture. Sprinkle remaining crumbs on top.

Chocolate-Coconut Charlotte

FOR THE COCONUT CUSTARD
1 cup unsweetened finely shredded coconut
3 large egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup whole milk
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 ounce (1 tablespoon) unsalted butter
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

FOR THE CHOCOLATE CUSTARD
1/2 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole milk
2 large egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup heavy cream
5 1/4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (1 cup)

FOR THE RUM SYRUP
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 to 1/2 cup dark rum

FOR ASSEMBLY
Vegetable oil cooking spray
Chocolate Ladyfingers and Cake Rounds
1 cup heavy cream, whipped to stiff peaks

Make the coconut custard: Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Spread coconut on a baking sheet, and bake until light gold, about 3 minutes.

Whisk together yolks, cup sugar, and the cornstarch in a bowl. Bring milk, coconut milk, and remaining 1/2 cup sugar to a boil in a medium saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add 1/3 of the milk mixture to yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Add remaining milk mixture in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly. Return to saucepan, and cook over medium heat, whisk-ing constantly, until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat, and whisk in butter and vanilla. Fold in coconut, then transfer to a bowl. Press plastic wrap directly on surface of custard, and refrigerate until chilled and firm, about 1 hour (or overnight).

Make the chocolate custard: Sprinkle gelatin over 2 tablespoons milk in a small bowl, and let stand until softened, about 5 minutes. Whisk together yolks and sugar in a medium bowl.

Bring cup cream and remaining cup milk to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add 1/3 of the cream mixture to yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Add remaining cream mixture in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly. Return mixture to saucepan. Place over medium heat, and cook, whisking constantly, until custard coats the back of a spoon, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in softened gelatin.

Place chocolate in a medium bowl. Strain cream mixture over chocolate, and let stand for 1 minute. Stir until smooth, and let cool. Whisk remaining 3/4 cup cream until medium-stiff peaks form. Fold 1/3 of the cream into chocolate mixture, then fold in the rest.

Make the rum syrup: Bring sugar and rum to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Let cool.

To assemble the charlotte: Place a 6-by-3-inch cake ring (see the Guide), on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Coat ring with cooking spray. Arrange ladyfingers upright inside ring, curved side touching ring. (Use just enough to fit snugly.) Fit 1 cake round in bottom of cake ring.

Brush ladyfingers and cake with syrup. Spread 3/4 cup chocolate custard in ring, then top with 1 cup coconut custard. Repeat with cake, syrup, and custards, leaving 3/4 inch from top of ladyfingers.


Cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (or overnight). Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes, then gently remove cake ring. Top charlotte with whipped cream, and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Tie with bow, if desired, before presenting at the table. Slice, and serve immediately.

Carmel-Banana Roll-Ups

3 firm ripe medium bananas
2 tablespoons lemon juice
6 flour tortillas, (7 to 8 inches in diameter)
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1/3 cup caramel, chocolate or butterscotch topping

Heat oven to 450ºF. Grease cookie sheet.

Peel bananas and cut lengthwise in half; brush with lemon juice. Place 1 banana half on each tortilla. Stir together sugar and cinnamon; reserve 1 tablespoon. Sprinkle bananas with remaining sugar and cinnamon.

Roll each tortilla around banana; place seam side on cookie sheet. Brush with butter. Sprinkle with reserved sugar and cinnamon.

Bake 6 to 8 minutes or until golden brown. Place on dessert plates. Drizzle with topping.

Raspberry Cream Cheese Brownies

I got this recipe from Cooking Light magazine and they are pretty yummy. It's a cake-like brownie so don't expect the dense, gooey type. I thinned out the raspberry jam with some water so it would spoon on a little better and they turned out looking just like the picture.

Filling:
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup (3 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg white

Brownies:
Cooking spray
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/4 cup butter or stick margarine, melted
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
>2 large egg whites
3 tablespoons raspberry preserves

Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare the filling, beat the first 5 ingredients at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended, and set aside.

To prepare the brownies, coat the bottom of an 8-inch baking pan with cooking spray (do not coat the sides of the pan). Lightly spoon 3/4 cup flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Combine 1 cup sugar and the next 6 ingredients (1 cup sugar through the 2 egg whites), stirring well with a whisk. Add to the flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Spread two-thirds of batter in bottom of prepared pan. Pour filling over batter, spreading evenly. Carefully drop the remaining batter and preserves by spoonfuls over filling; swirl together using the tip of a knife to marble. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out almost clean. Cool on a wire rack.

Photo: From Cooking Light magazine

Chocolate Pudding Pie

Chocolate pudding pie is a tradition in my family. We usually do the Jello version but I came across this recipe from Williams- Sonoma's website before Thanksgiving and I am convinced that it is worth the little bit of extra work. You can use chocolate chips if you don't have your block of Ghirardelli lying around. I also put it in a regular pie crust (not shown in the picture) because that's how my mom always made it. I am sure it is good with the Oreo cookie crust too though.

For the filling:
2 1/2 cups milk
5 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped into slivers
4 egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
3 Tbs. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cookie crumb crust, made with chocolate cookies (or pie pastry like I use)

For the topping:
1 cup heavy cream
1 Tbs. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Chocolate curls for decorating

Directions:

To make the filling, in a heavy nonaluminum saucepan over low heat, warm together the milk and chocolate, whisking until the chocolate is melted; the mixture will be speckled.

In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until pale yellow. Add the cornstarch and salt, then the vanilla, and whisk until well blended. Slowly pour the warm chocolate mixture into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly until well blended. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat until it thickens and begins to bubble slowly, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir until smooth, about 1 minute.

Pour the filling into the crumb crust and smooth with a spatula. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface, and refrigerate until completely cold and firm, 2 to 3 hours.

To make the topping, using an electric mixer on medium-high speed or a whisk, beat together the cream, sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Spread the whipped cream on top of the pie. Decorate with chocolate curls. Refrigerate until ready to serve, but let the pie stand at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving to take the chill off. Makes one 9-inch pie; serves 8.

Cool 'n' Easy Strawberry Pie

Gotta love that name, right? This one was a big hit with my husband's family on Easter. I used a Oreo cookie crust rather than a graham cracker crust like it says. I also doubled the recipe for our large group and made it in a 9x13 Pyrex dish with the crust just on the bottom and it worked well. It sets up nicely so you can cut it into squares. This recipe is from the Jello website. They have lots of yummy looking dessert recipes ending in "pie."

2/3 cup boiling water
1 pkg. (4-serving size) Strawberry Flavor Gelatin
Ice cubes
1 tub (8 oz.) Whipped Topping, thawed (Lite tastes fine)
1 cup chopped, fresh strawberries
1 graham cracker (or Oreo) crumb crust
1 cup sliced, fresh strawberries

STIR boiling water into dry gelatin mix in large bowl at least 2 min. until completely dissolved. Add enough ice to cold water to measure 1 cup. Add to gelatin; stir until slightly thickened. Remove any unmelted ice.

ADD whipped topping; stir with wire whisk until well blended. Stir in chopped strawberries. Refrigerate 20 to 30 min. or until mixture is very thick and will mound. Spoon into crust.

REFRIGERATE 6 hours or overnight until firm. Top with sliced strawberries. Store leftovers in refrigerator.

Photo is from jello.com

Orange Kissed Chocolate Brownies

4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon finely shredded orange peel
3-1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons orange juice
4 ounces semisweet chocolate
1/2 cup butter
2 tablespoons light-color corn syrup

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 13x9x2-inch baking pan with heavy foil, extending foil over the edges of the pan. Lightly grease foil. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine eggs and sugar. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 3 to 5 minutes or until mixture is pale yellow and thickened. In a small bowl, whisk together flour and cocoa powder. Add flour mixture to egg mixture, beating just until smooth. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the melted butter until combined. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan.

2. Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack.

3. Meanwhile, for frosting: In a large bowl, combine the 1/4 cup butter and the orange peel. Beat on medium speed until smooth. Add 1 cup of the powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon of the orange juice, beating until combined. Beat in the remaining 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar and enough of the remaining 1 to 2 tablespoons orange juice to make a frosting of spreading consistency. Spread frosting evenly over cooled brownies. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, combine semisweet chocolate and the 1/2 cup butter. Cook and stir over low heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat; stir in corn syrup. Cool for 15 minutes.

5. Slowly pour melted chocolate mixture over the frosted brownies. Tilt pan gently to spread chocolate over the whole top. Chill about 30 minutes or until chocolate is set. Using the edges of the foil, lift the uncut brownies out of the pan. Cut into bars. Makes 32 bars.

6. To Store: Place bars in a single layer in an airtight container; cover. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months. To serve, thaw bars if frozen. Let refrigerated bars stand at room temperature about 15 minutes before serving.

Quick Buttermilk Sweet Dough for Cinnamon Rolls

2 pkg active dry yeast
½ c warm water
1 ¼ c buttermilk
2 eggs
5 ½ to 6 c flour
½ c butter softened
½ c sugar
2 t baking powder
2 t salt
¼ to ½ c melted butter
Cinnamon and sugar mixture

Dissolve yeast in warm water (add 2 T sugar to aid rising), let rise 10 mins. Add buttermilk, eggs, 2 ½ cups flour, ½ cup butter or marg, sugar, baking powder and salt. Blend ½ minute on low speed, scraping bowl constantly. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed, scarping bowl occasionally. Stir in enough remaining flour to make dough easy to handle. (Dough should be soft and slightly sticky) Turn dough onto well floured board. Knead 5 mins or 200 turns. Shape dough rolling into rectangle, spread with butter (melted), sprinkle on cinnamon-sugar mixture (also chopped nuts). Roll up, beginning at wide side. Pinch edge of dough into roll to seal well. Stretch to make roll even. Cut roll into 15 slices or so. Place slightly aprt in greased baking pan (9x13 inches). Let rise until double, about 1 hour. Bake 25-30 mins at 375 degrees. Drizzle with powdered sugar icing or melt ½ c brown sugar, packed; and ½ c pecan halves or chopped nuts, over butter roll, slice and put in cinnamon rolls. Bake. Immediately turn pan upside down on a large tray. Let pan remain so butter mixture can drizzle down over rolls.

Rice Pudding

1/ 2 c rice
3 c milk
½ c raisins
¼ c butter
3 eggs, beaten
1 c sugar
1 t vanilla
½ t salt
Nutmeg or cinnamon

Combine rice with 2 cups milk in double boiler. Cook until tender, add raisins and butter. Combine eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt and remaining milk. Stir into rice mixture, pour into baking dish, buttered. Sprinkle with cinnamon, bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 20-30 mins.

Apple Crisp

Place in greased pan 8 cups sliced apples. Mix together with fork until crumbly and sprinkle over the apples:

3 c flour
1 ½ to 2 c sugar
3 t baking powder
1 t salt
3 unbeaten eggs

Pour over all, 1 cup melted and cooled shortening. Sprinkle with 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon. Bake 30-40 mins at 350 degrees. Serve warm with whipped cream.