Cupcake Batter

2 cups     flour

2 tsp.      baking powder

1 1/2 tsp  baking soda

1 tsp.      salt

2 tsp.      cinnamon

2 cups     sugar

1 1/2 cup   vegetable oil

4  eggs

2 cups  grated carrots

1 8 1/4 oz. can of crushed pineapple drained

1/2 cup     chopped nuts (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Bake at 350 degrees  for 18 minutes

cool and frost or server warm with whip cream or ice cream.

Frosting

1/2 cup butter

1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese

1 tsp vanilla

1 lb. confectioners sugar

Add drops of milk to thin if necessary.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until the dough comes together.  Divide into 24 pieces.  Make a roughly 6-inch rope out of each piece, then pinch the ends together to form a circle.

Place the circles on the prepared baking sheets and bake for about 20 minutes, or until puffy and golden brown.  

2 sticks (1/2 Pound) butter or margarine

1 cup brown sugar

cream together

add 1 egg yolk

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

Directions

mix together with above

Spread in 2 quart Pyrex (9×13)

Bake at 350 for 15 minutes

Cover with package of chocolate chips. Bake 2-3 minutes.

Spread chocolate- sprinkle with chopped walnuts.

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 cup milk
• 1 (16 ounce) package frozen whipped topping, thawed
• 2 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crusts

 DIRECTIONS

1.Beat together cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar. Mix in peanut butter and milk. Beat until smooth. Fold in whipped topping.

Spoon into two 9 inch graham cracker pie shells; cover, and freeze until firm. 

2 Cups  well-cooked wild rice,  chopped

1 Cup buttermilk or sour milk, divided

1 Cup unsweetened applesauce

1/4 Cup vegetable oil

3/4 Cup shortening

1 Cup  firmly packed brown sugar

6  Egg whites

2  Teaspoons vanilla

2 1/2  Cups flour

1 Teaspoon baking soda

1 Teaspoon salt

1 Teaspoon cinnamon

1 Cup chopped nuts

Powdered sugar

Directions 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease bottom of 15 x 10 x 1 inch baking pan.  

In medium bowl, combine wild rice, 1/2 cup buttermilk, applesauce and oil;  set aside.

In large mixing bowl, combine shortening, brown sugar, egg whites and vanilla.  Beat at high speed 5 minutes or until smooth and creamy. 

Add remaining 1/2 cup buttermilk;  beat at low speed until well blended. 

Add flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; beat at low speed until well blended.  Stir in wild rice mixture and nuts. 

Spread in prepared pan.  Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, which will be 25 minutes at least.  

Cool.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

1 cup of flour (I use a little bit (maybe a 1/2 cup) of almond flour too)

1/2 cup of butter

2 Tbsp. water

1/2 cup of butter

1 cup of water

1 tsp. almond flavoring

1 cup flour

3 eggs

Heat oven to 350.  Measure 1^st cup of flour into bowl.  Cut in butter.  Sprinkle with 2 Tbsp water; mix with a fork.  Round into ball; *then you can kindof do what you want. Make 2 strips, or a big round circle, etc.

 Mix second amount of butter and water.  Bring to a boil.  Remove from heat; add flavoring.  Beat in flour, stirring quickly to prevent lumping.  When smooth, add one egg at a time, beating well after each addition until smooth.  Spread over evenly over pastries (in whatever form you have them; 2 strips or circle, etc.).  Bake about 60 min. (Puff has a tendency to shrink while cooling, leaving a custardy portion in the center).  Frost with a confectioners’ sugar icing and sprinkle with chopped nuts (or without the nuts). 

Confectioners’ Sugar Icing:

Some powdered sugar (Maybe a cup or 2) – it doesn’t need to be sifted, but makes a smoother icing if it is.

A tiny amount of milk (1 or 2 tsp at a time, until it’s the right consistency)

A little bit (maybe a tsp?) almond or vanilla extract. (I always use almond)

• 1 1/4 cups white sugar
• 1 cup butter flavored shortening
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

FOR THE COOKIES

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened

1/4 cup vegetable shortening

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar

1 large egg

1 cup whole milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

FOR THE FILLING

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

2 cups sifted confectioner’s (powdered) sugar

1 jar marshmallow Fluff (also called Marshmallow Creme)

2 tsp vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

Prepare cookies: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl; set aside.

Place butter, shortening, and sugars into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on high speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add egg; mix until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in half the flour mixture, then the milk and vanilla. Mix in remaining flour mixture.

Drop about 2 teaspoons dough (I used a small cookie scoop) onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake until cookies spring back when lightly touched, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer baking sheets to wire racks and let cool 10 minutes. Remove cookies from baking sheets and transfer to wire racks using a spatula; let cool completely.

Prepare filling: In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Add Fluff and vanilla and continue mixing until well combined.

Pipe or spoon about 2 teaspoons filling on the flat sides of half the cookies.  Top each with one of the remaining cookies, flat side down, and gently press together.

Melt chocolate in a saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a small round tip, or a small parchment cone, or a small sandwich baggie with a corner tip cut out.  Pipe chocolate in a spiral pattern on top of each pie.  Let chocolate set before serving, about 1 hour.

I made this as cupcakes and skipped the chocolate curls. I modified the baking time to about 24 minutes. These also freeze well. I froze them (with frosting) for a week and they tasted great. 

Planning Tip: Can be made through Step 4 and refrigerated airtight 3 days or frozen 2 weeks. Frosting can be refrigerated 3 days. Curls can be stored in a cool place 1 week.

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 1/3 cups boiling water
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) butter, softened
21/3 cups sugar
3 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract

Frosting
8 oz white chocolate, melted as pkg directs, cooled to room temperature
3 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
6 oz cream cheese, softened
5 Tbsp stick butter, softened
1 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice

Garnish: Chocolate Curls (directions follow)

1. Position racks to divide oven in thirds. Heat to 350°F. Coat three 9-in. or 8 x 2-in. round cake pans with nonstick spray. Line bottoms with wax paper.

2. Stir cocoa and boiling water in a medium bowl until smooth; let cool.

3. Meanwhile mix next 3 ingredients in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, beat next 4 ingredients with mixer on high speed 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add cool cocoa; beat until blended. Scrape bowl. On low speed, beat in flour mixture just to blend, scraping bowl once. Spoon into prepared pans; smooth surfaces. Stagger pans on oven racks.

4. Bake 24 to 31 minutes (depending on pan size) until a wooden pick inserted in center of cakes comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack 10 minutes. Run knife around edges; invert on rack, remove paper and cool completely.

5. Frosting: Beat ingredients on low speed to blend. Increase speed to high; beat 2 minutes until light and fluffy.

6. To assemble: Place 1 cake layer on serving plate, bottom side up. Spread with 1/3 the Frosting. Repeat with remaining layers, swirling frosting on top. Garnish with Chocolate Curls.

Chocolate Curls Line mini loaf pan or make a 31/2 x 2 x 11/4-in. pan with a double thickness foil. Melt 4 oz white chocolate, pour into pan; chill until firm. Peel off foil. Soften at room temperature 30 minutes. Pull a swivel-blade vegetable peeler along side of bar to form curls (if curls break, soften chocolate more). Repeat with 4 oz milk chocolate.