Black Forest Cake

1 box devils food cake mix

1 can cherry pie filling

1 tub cool whip (or comparable)

1 jar marichino cherries

Prepare cake mix in accordance to package directions.  Divide the cake mix into two separately greased cake pans or flan pans. Bake in accordace to the package directions.  Allow to cool and remove from pans. Spead the cherry pie filling over the top of one of the cakes. Place the second cake on top of the first. Cover both layers with the cool whip. Place 4 equally spaced dollops of whipped cream around the edges of the cake. Top the dollops with a cherry.

A friend made this at Thanksgiving and it was so GOOOD!

Honey Bun Cake

• 1 yellow cake mix (Duncan Hines butter recipe is the best)
• 3/4 cup oil
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 4 eggs
• 8 oz. container of sour cream (not fat free)

Mix together and pour into a greased 13x15 pan.  You can use a 9x13 pan also but you'll have to increase the cooking time as needed.

Combine:

• 1 cup. brown sugar
• 4 tsp. cinnamon

Sprinkle over the cake and then swirl through with a fork until most of the cake mix has cinnamon mixture.   BAKE at 350 degrees until done--about 40 min.

GLAZE: 

• 1/2 box powdered sugar (about 2 cups)
• 1/2 stick butter (melted)
• 1 or 2 tsp. warm water or more if needed to make it pourable

Mix together and pour over cake while it is still hot.  It's better if you pour over the cake as soon as it's done. The glaze will sink into the cake and make it more moist if you put it on the hot cake.

This was my grandmother's recipe. She always made these at Christmastime.

Cream Cheese Kolacky (koh-LAH-chee)  

• 6 oz. cream cheese
• 1 c butter
• 2 c flour
• 2 T sugar
• 2 t baking powder
• ¼ t salt
• 2 eggs, well beaten
• Canned “filling and topping”, like Solo brand, your choice (we always used apricot, but Grandma said you could also use poppy seed or almond)  

Cream butter and cream cheese together. Sift together dry ingredients and blend into butter mixture. Add beaten eggs and stir until well blended. Chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes. Roll out dough on floured surface. (Sprinkle a little sugar on working surface as well.) Cut dough into squares or rounds. Place a dollop of filling in center of shape, and bring two opposite sides of dough to meet over filling/center. Pinch/press down.   Bake at 375 for about 15 minutes. May sprinkle cooled cookies with powdered sugar for finishing touch.

Chocolate Brownie Trifle

• 1-19.8 oz. package brownie mix
• 3-3.9 oz. packages instant chocolate pudding mix  
• 6 cups milk (or whatever the package says to use)  
• 1-16 oz. container Cool Whip  
• 6-1.4 oz. Skor Bar English Toffee candy bars, crushed (may substitute Heath Bars)  

Prepare brownie mix and bake according to directions in a 13 x 9 x 2 inch pan. Let cool. Cube or crumble.  Prepare pudding mix according to directions, omitting chilling.  

To assemble: Place 1/3 of cubed or crumbled brownies in bottom of a 3 qt. trifle dish or straight-sided clear glass bowl. Top with 1/3 of pudding, then 1/3 of the Cool Whip, then 1/3 of the crushed candy bars. Repeat layers twice with remaining ingredients, ending with crushed candy bars.  

Chill 8 hours.

Banana Split Muffins

1 ½ cups flour

1 cup sugar

1 tsp each baking soda and salt

1 egg

½ cup Miracle Whip or Miracle Whip Light Dressing

3 ripe bananas, mashed

¼ to ½ cup miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips, optional

More miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips (not as optional J )

Chopped nuts

Maraschino cherries, drained

Mix flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Beat egg in a small bowl, then stir in dressing. Add to flour mixture, stirring until just moistened. Stir in bananas. Stir in chocolate chips, if desired.

Spoon into greased or paper-lined muffin pan, filling each cup almost full. Sprinkle with chips and nuts.

Bake in a preheated 375° oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from oven, immediately press 1 cherry into the top center of each muffin. Makes 12.

These are really different, but oh so good!

Chocolate Cayenne Cookies

• 1 stick (4oz) BUTTER
• 1/2 cup SUGAR
• 1/2 cup BROWN SUGAR
• 1 EGG 1 cup FLOUR
• 1/2 cup COCOA POWDER
• 1/2 tsp. BAKING SODA
• 1/2 tsp. CAYENNE PEPPER
• 1/4 tsp. SALT
• 1 cup CHOCOLATE CHIPS

1. Blend butter, sugar and egg until creamy.
2. Add dry ingredients and mix until very well blended. You want the spice to be evenly distributed.
3. Fold in chips. Use a teaspoon to drop cookies on a lightly greased cookie sheet.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Makes about 30 cookies.

Here's a little different version of the Cracker Candy. I made these for a party last week and everyone liked them. They make a huge panful, so I only took about 1/3. The rest that were left here didn't last long. I love them so much I almost make myself sick eating them.

Soda Cracker Candy

35-40 Saltine crackers

1 C. butter or margarine

1 C. packed brown sugar

1 pkg. (about 2 C.) semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 1/2 C. coarsely chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350. Line a 15x10x1" pan with foil and then coat with nonstick cooking spray Place crackers in rows on foil.

In saucepan, melt butter; add brown sugar and bring to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes. Pour over crackers and spread until completely covered.

Bake for 5 minutes (crackers will float a little). Remove from oven.

Sprinkle chocolate chips and nuts over crackers. Return to oven for 3-5 minutes, until chocolate is melted.

Remove from oven and using a greased spatula, press nuts into the chocolate. Cut into squares while warm. Cool completely and remove from foil.

Yields about 5 dozen

Susan, my SIL made a similar soda cracker candy, she didn't include the nuts. We called it crack on a plate, it was so good.