Pumpkin Streusel Cake

Cake:
Mix in 1 bowl:
3 c flour
2 t baking powder
1 T cinnamon
1 t salt

Mix in mixer:
1 c butter softened
2 c sugar
4 eggs – adding 2 at a time

Add the dry mixture to the wet. Then add 1 can pumpkin, 1 c sour cream, 1 t vanilla.

Streusel ( mix all together):
½ c brown sugar
2 T flour
1 t cinnamon
¼ t pumpkin spice
1 T butter melted

Pour half of the cake batter into a greased bunt pan, then sprinkle the streusel down in the middle, then pour the rest of the cake batter over top. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until knife comes out clean. Serve with whipped cream.

Pecan Delight

Mix together and spread in lightly greased 9 by 13 pan:
1 c flour
½ c melted butter
½ c chopped pecans
Bake for 15 minutes at 375 degrees. Let cool

Mix together:
8 oz package of softened cream cheese
1 c powdered sugar
1 c cool whip
Spread on cooled crust

Mix together:
2-3 oz package instant pudding
3 c milk
Spread over cream cheese mixture. Top with cool whip and chopped chocolate candy bar (I usually use Symphony - either milk chocolate or with toffee and almonds.) Keep cool.

Mexican Chicken Corn Chowder

1 1/2 c boneless, skinless chicken breast
1/2 c chopped onion
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1 T butter
2 chicken boullion cubes
1 c hot water
1 t taco seasoning
2 c half and half
1 1/2 c cheddar cheese
1 (16oz) can corn
1 (4oz) can diced green chilis
1 medium tomato, chopped
cilantro
tortilla chips

Cut up chicken into bite-size pieces. In a large skillet, brown chicken, onion, and garlic in butter. Dissolve boullion cubes in hot water. Add to pan, along with taco seasoning; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes. Add cream, cheese, corn and chilis. Cook and stir over low heat until cheese is melted and heated through. Remove from stove. Garnish with tomatoes and cilantro. Serve with tortilla chips. Enjoy!

*I've made the chicken several different ways: the way it says, leftover chicken, rotisserie chicken from Costco, and canned chicken and it's ALL delicious. Make sure you don't cook the soup on too high of heat otherwise the cream will curdle a little bit. Keep the heat low and remove it immediately after cheese has been melted and incorporated.

*From the Grandma Angie Lyman Family Cookbook

Double Chocolate Cheesecake

24 OREO cookies, crushed (about 2 cups)
1/4 c (1/2 stick) butter, melted
4 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 c sugar
2 T flour
1 t vanilla
1 package (8 squares) BAKER'S semi-sweet chocolate, melted and cooled a little
4 eggs
1/2 package Guittard semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix crumbs and butter. Press into 9 by 13 baking dish lined with foil. Beat cream cheese, sugar, flour and vanilla until well blended and smooth. Add chocolate and mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing on low after each addition just until blended. Pour over crust. Bake 45 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool. Refrigerate 4 hours. Use foil to lift cheesecake from pan and place on a serving platter. Drizzle with melted chocolate chips. Place back in fridge until drizzle is set up. ENJOY!

* This is such a fun spin on traditional cheesecake! You could use a springform pan if you must, but, I LOVED how thin it was! It was also easier to cut into pieces and serve since it wasn't so thick. You need your crumbs very small, so use a food processor if you have it. It's also important to have your cream cheese very soft because it creates a smoother texture in the cheesecake. Also, whenever I do a dish involving cream cheese, I always beat the cream cheese until smooth before I add anything else to it. That also creates a creamier cheesecake. You don't have to drizzle it with chocolate, in fact the recipe didn't even call for it, but mine cracked on top (and I accidentally broke it in half...oops!) and I wanted to cover it all up. But boy, did it add to the flavor! You could also top it with a chocolate ganache, which I'm sure is divine!

Artichoke Dip

1 (10 oz) can marinated artichoke hearts, drained
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 c mayonnaise
1/4 c parmesan cheese
1/2 c pepperjack cheese, separated

Cream together cream cheese and mayo. Dice artichoke hearts. Add artichoke hearts, parmesan cheese and half of pepperjack cheese to the cream cheese mixture. Top with remaining cheese. Bake in a small baking dish at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or 3 minutes in the microwave. I usually double this recipe. Delicious!

Cadbury Mini Egg Cookies

1/2 C butter flavored Crisco
1/2 C Butter
1 C brown sugar
1 C white sugar
2 Eggs
1 1/2 t vanilla
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
2 1/2 C flour
6T unsweetened cocoa powder
1 10 oz bag Cadbury Mini-Eggs

Preheat oven to 350. You'll need to chop up those Cadbury Eggs. Chop up Cadbury Eggs - just put them in a ziplock bag and bang on them with a marble rolling pin until they look like they have been quartered, but not too small. A hammer would work too.

Cream together the butter, crisco, brown sugar and white sugar. Add in eggs one at at a time and the vanilla. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, soda, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder. Add to the butter mixture to combine and then mix in the candies.

Drop onto a cookie sheet and cook for about 8-10 minutes. They're soft and fudgy in the middle and a little crisp on the edges with crunchy little candy bits throughout.

*I am SOOOOOO SUPER UPSET because I missed the window for the mini eggs this year and got through the season with only getting 2 BAGS!!!! It really is just unheard of. I went to 11 stores in the past 2 days looking for these gems. So I found this recipe, but don't have the goods to produce it! I just want it on my blog so I can always have it to make for next time...so sad. If you are one of the few who has a million bags stashed away for a rainy day, you MUST try these!

*Picture and recipe from Our Best Bites.

Oreo Chocolate Bark

20 Oreo cookies, crushed into bite size pieces
2 2/3 c (about 24 oz) white chocolate, melted
1 t vanilla
3/4 c milk or dark chocolate, melted (for drizzling)

In a large bowl, crush Oreos into small pieces (but not super crumbly) with the bottom of a cup.
Melt white chocolate until smooth and then add vanilla. Add crushed Oreos to white chocolate. Pour onto a wax paper lined sheet cake pan. Don't worry about spreading it to the edges, you just need it to be a thin layer. Let it cool either in the fridge or over night on the counter. When it is fully hardened, melt milk or dark chocolate and drizzle over top. When that has hardened, break into individual pieces. Enjoy!