Aunt Peggy's Sweet Potato Souffle

Ingredients
Souffle:
3 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes, from about 2 to 3 small baked potatoes
1 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, about 1 stick, melted
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
Topping:
1 cup packed light brown sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, about 1/2 stick, cubed, at room temperature
1/2 cup self-rising cake flour
1 cup chopped pecans


Directions
Souffle: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease an 8-inch square baking dish.

In a large bowl, combine the sweet potatoes, sugar, eggs, milk, butter, vanilla, and salt. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.

Topping: Combine the brown sugar, butter, flour, and pecans in a separate bowl. Crumble the topping over the sweet potato mixture.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the topping is golden brown. Serve hot.

SOURCE

Pumpkin Bars

Ingredients
Bars:
4 eggs
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
15-ounce can pumpkin
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
Icing:
8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Using an electric mixer at medium speed, combine the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until light and fluffy. Stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth. Spread the batter into a greased 13 by 10-inch baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting. Cut into bars.

To make the icing: Combine the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sugar and mix at low speed until combined. Stir in the vanilla and mix again. Spread on cooled pumpkin bars.

SOURCE

Sweet Black Cherry Crisp

Ingredients
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup, plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
6 cups pitted frozen cherries, thawed
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sliced almonds


Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 13 by 9-inch baking pan.


In a large bowl, combine the sugar and 3 tablespoons flour. Add the cherries, tossing gently to coat. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan.


In a medium bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, and remaining 1/4 cup flour. Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until the mixture is crumbly. Stir in the almonds. Sprinkle evenly over the cherry mixture. Bake until hot and bubbly and the topping is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.


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Cherry

Stuffed Cupcakes

Ingredients
Cupcake:
1 cup butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
3 cups sifted self-rising flour
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Line 2 standard 12-cup muffin/cupcake pans with papers.
3. Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the flour and milk, alternately, into the creamed mixture, beginning and ending with the flour. Add the vanilla and continue to beat until well mixed. 
4. Divide the batter equally among the papers, filling them about 34 of the way up. Level the batter by dropping muffin pan on counter top to release the air bubbles.
5. Bake for about 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Cool in pan for 5 to 10 minutes and then remove the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.


Vanilla Cream Filling:
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup light corn syrup


1. With an electric mixer, cream shortening and butter together. Add confectioners' sugar and granulated sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla extract. Gradually beat in corn syrup. Continue beating until the mixture has thickened to a mayonnaise-like consistency, about 3 minutes.
2. When the cupcakes have cooled completely, fill a pastry bag, fitted with a medium-small plain, round tip with the vanilla filling. With a sharp, paring knife, cut a cross down into the center of each cupcake from the top, about 1-inch deep. Insert the tip of the pastry bag into the cross and gently squeeze about 1 1/2 teaspoons of the vanilla filling into the center of each cupcake. 
3. Wipe away any vanilla filling that oozes out when you remove the tip from the cupcake.


Peanut Butter Frosting:
1 1/2 sticks butter, room temperature
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup granulated sugar
Pinch salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup heavy cream
3 cups confectioners' sugar


1. Cream the butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar and salt together with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla extract and heavy cream. 2. Gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar.
3. Frost the vanilla filled cupcakes with a butter knife or from a large star tipped pastry bag.


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Cupcake

Baked French Toast Casserole with Maple Syrup

Ingredients

• 1 loaf French bread (13 to 16 ounces)
• 8 large eggs
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Dash salt
• Praline Topping, recipe follows
• Maple syrup

Directions

Slice French bread into 20 slices, 1-inch each. (Use any extra bread for garlic toast or bread crumbs). Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9 by 13-inch flat baking dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat with a rotary beater or whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread and bake for 40 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. Serve with maple syrup.

Praline Topping:

• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well. Makes enough for Baked French Toast Casserole.

SOURCE

French Toast

Apple Strudel

Ingredients

Apple Strudel:

• 1/4 cup bourbon or apple juice
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 2 to 3 Granny Smith apples (about 1 pound), peeled, cored, halved, and thinly sliced
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more for sprinkling
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup crushed shortbread cookies
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans
• 2 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
• 5 sheets phyllo dough from 1 pound package of frozen dough
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted, for brushing phyllo sheets, plus more if needed
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• Confectioners' sugar
• Caramel sauce, purchased

Glaze:

• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 3 1/2 tablespoons milk

For the Strudel:

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, pour the bourbon or apple juice over the raisins and microwave on high for 45 seconds. Let sit for 15 minutes.

Combine the raisins, apples, lemon juice, lemon zest, cinnamon, brown sugar, cookie crumbs, pecans, and butter in a large bowl.

Remove the phyllo dough from the box, unfold, and cover with a damp towel. Place 1 sheet of phyllo on the work surface and brush lightly with melted butter. Repeat with the remaining sheets, brushing each with melted butter, stacking when done, being sure to keep the unbuttered phyllo covered.

Place the apple mixture on the nearest third of the phyllo stack, being sure to leave a 2-inch border. Gently lift the bottom edge of the phyllo stack to cover the filling and fold the side edges over. Continue to roll the stack away from you until the filling is completely sealed in and the seam is on the bottom. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Brush the top with melted butter and sprinkle with granulated sugar.

Bake for 30 minutes, until golden brown. Pour over the glaze and sprinkle with cinnamon and confectioners' sugar. Pass warm caramel sauce, to drizzle over the strudel.

For the Glaze:

Mix ingredients thoroughly.

*Cook's Note: If too thick add a little bit of milk. If too thin add a little bit of confectioners' sugar.
SOURCE

Apples

The Best Bread Pudding

Ingredients

• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 5 large beaten eggs
• 2 cups milk
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 3 cups cubed Italian bread, allow to stale overnight in a bowl
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened
• 1 cup chopped pecans

For the sauce:

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup brandy

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13 by 9 by 2-inch pan.

Mix together granulated sugar, eggs, and milk in a bowl; add vanilla. Pour over cubed bread and let sit for 10 minutes.

In another bowl, mix and crumble together brown sugar, butter, and pecans.

Pour bread mixture into prepared pan. Sprinkle brown sugar mixture over the top and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until set. Remove from oven.

For the sauce:

Mix together the granulated sugar, butter, egg, and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir together until the sugar is melted. Add the brandy, stirring well. Pour over bread pudding. Serve warm or cold.

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Old Fashion Bread Pudding