Fruit Pastry

Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk (or 3 tbsps powdered milk mixed with 1 cup cold water)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups fresh or canned peaches or pears (pitted and sliced)

Directions:
Melt butter or margarine in a 9 x 13 inch pan. Set aside to cool.
Stir together flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Mix in milk and vanilla. Pour batter over melted butter. DO NOT MIX OR STIR. Spoon fruit with juice over the batter. DO NOT MIX OR STIR.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 55 minutes.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon honey
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup raisins

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar until smooth. Stir in the eggs, vanilla and honey. Sift together the flour, baking soda and cinnamon, gradually stir into the creamed mixture. Finally, stir in the rolled oats and raisins.
Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls onto unprepared cookie sheets. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until cookies start to brown. Remove from baking sheets to cool on wire racks.

10 min for chewy cookies, 15 if you like them crunchier

Apple Fritters

Ingredients:
1 quart vegetable oil for deep-frying
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 cups apples - peeled, cored and chopped
1 cup cinnamon sugar (1 cup sugar, 2 tbsp cinnamon)

Directions:
Heat the oil in a deep-fryer or electric skillet to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Pour in the milk, eggs and oil and stir until well blended. Mix in apples until they are evenly distributed.
Drop spoonfuls of the batter into the hot oil and fry until golden on both sides, about 5 minutes depending on the size. Fry in smaller batches so they are not crowded. Remove from the hot oil using a slotted spoon and drain briefly on paper towels. Toss with cinnamon sugar while still warm.

Raspberry Bars

Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter, softened

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 (10 ounce) jar raspberry jam

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 inch pan.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar until smooth. Combine the oats, flour, salt and baking powder; stir into the creamed mixture. Press half of the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Spread the preserves over the crust. Crumble the remaining crust mixture over the raspberry layer.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until light brown. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

***Try this with peach or any other types of fruit preserves/jam***

Pineapple Floats

Ingredients:

1 pineapple - top trimmed

1 cup granulated sugar

1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise

3 tbp packed dark-brown sugar

1 quart best-quality vanilla ice cream

1 liter club soda

Preheat oven to 425F. Peel pineapple, reserving peels. Cut flesh lengthwise into quarters. Cut out and reserve core.

Transfer peels and core pieces to large pot; reserve flesh. Add 5 cups water, bring to boil. Add granulated sugar and vanilla bean. Cook, mashing peels occasionally with the back of a spoon to extract juice for about 30 min.

Cut pineapple into 1/2 inch cubes and transfer to rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Cook until golden, about 20 min. Transfer to bowl and let cool completely. Cover and refrigerate up to 2 days.

Pour pineapple-peel mixture from pot through a sieve into a large bowl, discard solids. Return liquid to pot and bring to boil.

Divide pineapple evenly among 8 serving glasses. Top with 2 tsp syrup and 2 scoops ice cream. Fill with club soda and drizzle with remaining syrup.

Oreo Cookies

Ingredients:

1 - 18.25 oz package devil's food cake mix

1/2 cup shortening

2 large eggs

Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix with heavy load mixer or by hand with a large spoon. Mix until all white specks from cake mix are blended in. Roll 1 tsp dough into a ball and place on ungreased cookie sheet or parchment paper.

Bake 5-8 mins at 375. Let cool on pan. Frost with following recipe.....

Frosting Ingredients:

4 oz cream cheese

2 cups powdered sugar

little bit of cream or milk

Place cream cheese and sugar in a bowl and whip. Add milk to desired consistency. Spread frosting on flat side of cookie. Top with another cookie.

Arrange cookies on plate and put in fridge to cool and set frosting. Tasty.....

Lemon Bars

*I had never made these until last night. They are SO easy (and delish)! I don't have a grater - I know - so I didn't use the lemon rind. They were yummy, but not very "lemony".

Also, wait until these are completely cool before cutting - I am an impatient cook, and when I cut them, the edges were so messy because it was still warm...

Crust:

1. Cream together

1 cup butter

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2. Add & mix well

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups flour, unsifted

3. Pat into a 9"x13" greased baking pan. Bake at 350 for 15-20 min

Filling:

1. Mix together & pour over hot crust

4 eggs, slightly beaten

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup flour

1/4 cup lemon juice

rind of one lemon, grated

2. Bake at 350 for 18-22 minutes. When done, sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cut when cool.