Eclaire Cake

12 oz Whipped Cream (or the large container of cool whip)
 8 oz Cream Cheese (one package)
1 large and one small box instant vanilla pudding
Milk-- as much as called for on the pudding boxes to make pudding
1/2 c. chocolate chips
1 T. butter

Crust:
1 C. water
1/2 C. butter
1 t. salt
1 C. flour
4 eggs

Preheat oven to 400. Lightly grease a cookie sheet. Boil butter and water together, pour into mixing bowl and add flour and salt. While mixing add eggs one at a time. Mix until shiny. Pour onto cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes. It will puff up. Let cool and gently smash down any bumps.

For filling, soften cream cheese and whip with a mixer until smooth. Add the pudding and as much milk as directed on the pudding package to make pudding. Mix until semi-stiff. Pour over cooled crust. Spread Whipped Cream over the pudding. Melt the chocolate chips and butter together in the microwave in 15 second increments, stirring inbetween, and being careful not to overcook. Drizzle the chocolate over the whipped cream layer. Let chill for 1 hour.

Chocolate Oatmeal Cake

Chocolate Oatmeal Cake
1 3/4 cup boiling water
1 cup uncooked instant oatmeal

Let stand for 10 minutes

Add:
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine (softened) or applesauce
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 3/4 cup flour (half whole wheat, half regular)
1 tsp. soda
1/3 cup cocoa

Add:
1 cup chocolate chips to batter. (I use a mix of milk chocolate and semi-sweet)

Mix well. Grease & flour a 9x13 pan. Pour batter in.

On top, sprinkle 1/2 cup brown sugar, another cup of chocolate chips, and a handful of Heath English Toffee Bits. (You can also add 3/4 cup chopped pecans, if desired).

Bake at 350 for 37-40 minutes.

If using applesauce instead of butter, for 16 servings: 233 calories, 1.9g fiber, 3.8g fat, 3.8g protein, 47.2 carbs. High in sugar, but low in calories.

My Aunt Melanie's recipe. She calls it colon-cleansing cake! :)

Amy's Cheesecake

I got this recipe in college from some girl named Amy. It's a really, really good recipe. I can never get them to look very pretty, but the taste more than makes up for it! She has instructions for 3 different flavors of cheesecake. I have only made the berry and lemon, and they are both yummy.

Makes 2 cheesecakes!

2 nine inch graham cracker pie crusts

Filling:
3--8oz packages of cream cheese
1 c. sugar
1/4 t. salt
2 t. vanilla
3 eggs

Topping:
2 c. sour cream
3 T sugar
1 t. vanilla

Berry Cheesecake:
1 c. berries
1 egg

Pumpkin Cheesecake:
1 c. pumpkin pie filling
1/2t. pumpkin pie spice
1 egg

Lemon Cheesecake:
1 c. lemon curd
1/2 t. lemon juice
1 egg

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 3oo degrees. Beat softened cream cheese (microwave for 1 1/2 minutes to soften), sugar, salt, and vanilla. Add eggs. Use half the batter to fill each pie half full. With the remaining batter, mix in whichever kind of cheesecake you choose (for example, for lemon cheesecakes, mix the batter with 1 c. lemon curd, 1/2 t. lemon juice, and one egg). Spread the flavored batter over the cheesecake batter in the pie crusts. Bake for 50 minutes. Remove and cool for five minutes. While cooling, mix up the topping. Spread over baked cheesecakes and bake for ten more minutes. Chill before serving.

Apple Cake

This is one of my most favorite desserts, brought to you by my sister-in-law Jaclyn. I crave it! It's all hers, but I wanted to have the recipe easily accessible to me, so I am including it here. It's so yummy!

½ c. Shortening

2 c.  Sugar

Cream sugar and shortening, then add

2 Eggs

2 c. Flour

½ t. Salt

2 t. Baking Soda

½ t. Cinnamon

½ t. Nutmeg

3 c. Shredded Apples (green apples)

Mix all ingredients and bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes until completely golden brown. As soon as cake is removed from oven pour the following icing over hot cake.

Icing

1 c. Sugar

½ c. Butter

2 t. Vanilla

1/3 c. Milk

Bring to a boil and pour over cake as soon as it is removed from oven.

Serve with whipped cream.

Pumpkin Pie Cake-- 2 recipes

These recipes are both very similar and are really great in place of pumpkin pie. One is made in a 9X13, and the other in a baking sheet. I prefer the 2nd recipe for the baking sheet, but I use the first one when I don't need to make as much or don't have as many ingredients.

Crust:
1 yellow cake mix, reserve 1 c. of dry mix
1/2 c. melted butter
1 egg
Mix and pat into 9 X 13 pan. Keep 1 c. of mix for later.
Filling:
16 oz can pumpkin
1/2 c. brown sugar
2/3 c. milk
1 1/2 t. pumpkin pie spices
1 t. salt
1/2 t. ginger
1/2 t. cloves
Beat together, pour over crust
Topping:
1 c. reserved cake mix
1 t. cinnamon
1/4 c. butter, not melted
3 T. sugar
Cut butter into dry ingredients. Sprinkle on top of filling. Bake 350 for 60 minutes. Serve with whipped cream.

Doubled recipe for cookie sheet (I prefer this recipe):
Crust:
1 box yellow cake mix
1/2 c. butter
2 eggs

Filling:
29 oz pumpkin
4 eggs, slightly beaten
2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. ground cloves
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 t. salt
1 t. ginger
1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk

Topping:
1 c. yellow cake mix from another box
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter

Bake at 350 for 60 minutes

Ultimate Cheesecake

Tyler Florence Recipe

2 cups finely processed graham cracker crumbs
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1 stick unsalted butter, melted

Filling:
1 lb softened cream cheese (2 squares)
3 eggs
1 c. sugar
1 pint sour cream
1 lemon, zested
1 dash vanilla extract

Preheat 325

Combine crust ingredients with a fork. Lightly coat spring-form pan with cooking spray. Press crumbs into pan using the smooths side of a cup or spoon on the bottom and up to 1" on the sides. Refrigerate for 5 minutes.

Filling:
Beat the cream cheese, on low until smooth and no lumps, add eggs 1 at a time, and continue to beat slowly until combined. Gradually add sugar and beat until creamy for 1 to 2 minutes.

Add sour cream, lemon zest and vanilla. Periodically scrape the sides of the bowl while mixing. Pour filling into the pan and smooth the top with a spatula.

Set the pan on a large piece of aluminum foil and fold up the sides around it. Place the cake pan in a large roasting pan. Pour boiling water into the roasting pan until the water is about halfway up the sides of the pan, the foil will keep the water from seeping into the cheesecake. Bake for 45 minutes. The cheesecake should still jiggle, it will firm after chilling, so be careful not to overcook. Let cool in pan for 30 minutes. Chill in the refrigerator, loosely covered, for at least 4 hours. Loosen the cheesecake from the sides of the pan by running a thin metal spatula around the inside rim. Unmold and transfer to a cake plate. Using a spatula, spread a layer of Warm Lemon Blueberry topping over the surface.

Warm Lemon Blueberry Topping:

1 pint blueberries
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 T. sugar

In a small saucepan add all the ingredients and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes or so until the fruit begins to break down slightly. Leave to cool before spreading on cheesecake.

Red Velvet Cake

1/2 c. shortening
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
1 t. butter flavoring
1 1/2 oz bottle red food color
3 T cocoa
2 1/2 c. sifted cake flour
1 c. buttermilk
1 t. salt
1 T vinegar
1 t. baking soda

Preheat 350
Cream shortening and sugar, add eggs, vanilla, butter flavoring. Make a paste with the cocoa and red food color. Add to cream mixture. Alternate adding the flour and milk to the cream mixture. Add remaining ingredients. Mix well. Bake in three 9" pans for 20-25 minutes. Cut into six layers, cool, and frost.

Cream Cheese Frosting
6 oz softened cream cheese
6 T butter
1 T. vanilla
2 c. sifted powdered sugar