Coconut Cake . . .

1 yellow cake mix
1 box instant vanilla pudding
4 eggs
1 cup oil
1 cup water
3/4 cup coconut

Bake at 350 in 9 x 13 pan.

Frosting: saute 1/2 cup coconut with 1 stick of butter until browned. Place 1 lb. confectioners sugar in food processor and add coconut/butter mixture save scant 1/2 cup toasted coconut to sprinkle on top of frosted cake. Add milk or half and half to frosting as needed.

Butter Crunch Cookies

These cookies were finalists in the LVRJ's annual cookie contest. They reminded me of a cookie I loved at the Yum Yum Bakery in Boston.

1/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 t. salt

Preheat oven to 350. Brown 1/3 cup sugar in small frying pan until liquid. Pour onto greased cookie sheet. Let cool.

Cream butter, 3/4 cup sugar, flour and salt.

Place cooled sugar between waxed paper and break with hammer. Add dough mixture. Drop by 1/2 teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Flatten with glass dipped in flour until about 1/8" thick. Bake 8 to 10 minutes. Makes about 3.5 dozen.

Mince Chiffon Pie

ew . . . I'm just saying. Not my thing. But my grandmother made this every year for my dad and he LOVES it. I'm preserving a little piece of holiday tradition here. Go easy on me...

2 envelopes plain jello
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup rum (make right choices)
1 package mincemeat
2 egg whites
1/3 cup sugar
1/8 t. salt
1 cup heavy cream, whipped
1 baked pie shell

Sprinkle jello on water in saucepan to soften. Place over low heat until gel dissolves. Stir in rum (make right choices) and cooked mincemeat. Chill until mixture mounds. Beat in stiffly beaten egg whites and fold in whipped cream. Garnish with whipped cream and sprinkle with nutmeg.

Creme Brulee French Toast

1 stick butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 T. corn syrup
1 8-9" round loaf country style bread
5 large eggs
1.5 cups half and half
1 t. vanilla

In small heavy saucepan melt butter with brown sugar and corn syrup over moderate heat, stirring until smooth and pour into 9 x 13 pan. Cut 6 1-inch slices of bread from center of bread and arrange bread slices in one layer in baking dish, squeezing them to fit.

In bowl wisk together eggs, half and half, vanilla and combine well and pour evenly over bread. Chill for at least 8 hours and up to 1 day. Preheat oven to 350 and bring bread to room temperature. Bake, uncovered in middle of oven until puffed and edges are pale golden, 35 to 40 minutes.

Makes 6 servings.

Jordan Marsh Blueberry Muffins

Cream together:

1/2 cup butter
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs

Mix dry ingredients:

2 cups flour
1/2 t. salt
2 t. baking powder

Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture, alternating with 1/2 cup MILK.

Mash 1/2 cup blueberries. Add to muffin mix. Fold in additional 2 cups blueberries.

Fill muffin tins 2/3 full and sprinkle with 2 t. sugar. Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes.

Nana's "Lemon Special"

Combine in saucepan:

1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 egg, well beaten
3 T. fresh lemon juice
grated lemon rind

Cook over medium heat, simmering constantly just until mixture comes to a boil. Makes 1.5 cups

Layer as follows:

pie crust
lemon sauce
ice cream
lemon sauce
whipped cream

Chinese Chicken Salad

1 head lettuce
1 head cabbage
1 can sliced water chestnuts
2/3 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup sesame seeds
3 grilled chicken breasts, cut into strips

Dressing:

8 T. sugar
8 T. rice vinegar
1 t. salt
1/4 cup oil

Just before serving crush fried won tons on top of salad

Molasses Crinkles

2 cups flour
1 t. baking soda, cinnamon, ginger
1/2 t. salt
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup molasses

Mix flour, soda and cinnamon, ginger and salt. Set aside. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg and molasses. Stir in flour mixture just until blended. Drop by teaspoonfuls and put on greased cookie sheets 1/2" apart. Bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned.

Marian's Tortellini Salad

1 7 oz. bag tortellini
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1/2 head cauliflower
1/2 head broccoli
1 can black olives
1/2 10 oz. jar green olives
24 cherry or grape tomatoes
1 cup fresh shaved parm cheese

Dress with homemade balsamic salad dressing

Salad Beatrice with Poppy Seed Dressing

1 head Boston lettuce
1 pint strawberries
1 fresh pineapple
1 sliced red onion

Assemble lettuce on bottom, strawberries on one side, pineapple on the other, red onion on top. Dress with the following:

Poppy Seed Dressing:

1.5 cups sugar
2 t. dry mustard
2 t. salt
2/3 cup vinegar
3 T. onion juice
2 cups oil
3 T. poppy seeds

Tiramisu

This recipe is from our friend, Art Brand . . . don't be afraid to try it. It's worth the effort.

5 egg yolks
1/2 lb. confectioners sugar
7 oz. marscapone cheese
3 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
1 t. vanilla
1/2 whipping cream, whipped
2 packages Saviardi cookies
1 quart warm coffee (or whatever)
2 T. cocoa

Whip egg yolks with sugar until fluffy. Add marscapone cheese and stir. Beat whites until firm and add sugar and whip again. Add vanilla. Fold two mixtures together.

Dip Saviardi cookies (Italian ladyfingers) in coffee and place in 8 x 11 pan. Spead 1/2 mixture over ladyfingers. Add another layer. Sprinkle cocoa over top and refrigerate at least 8 hours.

Brownies

Mix the following dry ingredients:

3/4 cup flour
1/4 t. soda
1/4 t. salt

Mix over low heat:

1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter
2 T. water

Add 6 oz. semisweet bits until blended with 1 t. vanilla.

Beat in 2 eggs

Fold in dry ingredients and spread in 9" square pan. Bake at 325 for 25 minutes.

Pot Stickers

Mix following ingredients together:

1 lb. ground pork
1 T. sherry
1 T. soy sauce
1/2 t. salt
1 T. water
1 can water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped

Fill Won ton wrappers with pork mixture and fry in 2 T. oil. Add water to skillet and cover immediately.

Sesame oil/soy sauce dip:

3 T. white vinegar
3 T. soy sauce
2 t. sesame oil
sambal oelek (or chili oil)

Chinese BBQ Pork

2 whole pork tenderloins
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 T. brown sugar
1 T. honey
2 t. red food coloring
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1 clove garlic
1 green onion

Combine soy, sugar, honey, food coloring, cinnamon, garlic and onion. Add pork and marinate overnight. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes to an hour.

Janeil's Baked Stuffed Shrimp

2 t. fresh parsley
1 sleeve Ritz crackers
1 slice white bread
1/2 stick butter
1/4 lb. scallops

Cook scallops and butter until no longer transparent. Spoon into Cuisinart and add liquid until moist. Lay shrimp split with stuffing on top. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes or until easily pierced with knife.

Way Mormon Pudding Dessert

Crust:

1 cup flour
1 stick butter
1/2 cup almonds

Mix in food processor and bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Cool completely.

Next:

1 cup powdered sugar
1 8 oz. softened cream cheese
1 cup Cool Whip

Beat together and mix in Cool Whip. Spread on crust.

Next, beat together:

2 packages small instant chocolate pudding and 3 cups cold milk

Top cream cheese/Cool Whip mixture with pudding mixture. Top with remainder of Cool Whip.

Janeil's Quiche

7-8 eggs
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1 cup swiss cheese (or cheddar)
1 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup onion
salt and pepper
brocooli
ham
Place onions and cheese on bottom of precooked crust and pour egg mixure over top. Bake at 375 till tip of knife comes out clean and egg mixture is solidified.

Cathy Toohey's Bleu Cheese Dressing

1/2 cup plain fat free yogurt or sour cream
1/4 cup low fat cottage cheese
1/4 cup fat free mayo
1/2 cup crumbled bleu cheese (2 oz.)
1-3 T. skim milk

Makes 20 1 T. servings

Bunty's Blueberry Cake (AKA Cath's Blueberry Cake)

1.5 cups flour
1 t. baking powder
1 stick butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, separated
1/3 cup milk
1 t. vanilla
1.5 cups blueberries

Cream butter and sugar. Add beaten yolks and vanilla. Add dry ingredients alternating with milk. Gently fold in blueberries. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites and spooon into 9 x 9 pan. Sprinkle with sugar and place in preheated 350 oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

This brings back a family Cape Cod memory to me.

Chocolate Intemperance

Mix together 3 eggs, 2 T. water and 1 Duncan Hines Brownie mix and pour into cookie sheet. Bake according to directions on mix . . . cut to line charlotte mold. Round for bottom of mold, sides, and round to fit on top.

Filling: 1.5 lbs. semisweet chocolate melted with 1/2 cup water

3 eggs, separated
2 T. sugar
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup heavy cream, whipped

Beat egg whites until stiff. Mix yolks, sugar and juice and incorporate into chocolate mixture. Fold in egg whites (gently) and pour into charlotte mold. Place last cake round over chocolate filling. Place in refrigerator overnight. Unmold and glaze.

Glaze: 1/2 lb. chocolate mixed with 1/3 cup water.

Serve with whipped cream.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 lb. butter
2 cups brown sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 t. vanilla
1 1/2 t. baking soda
6 cups flour
3 cups chocolate chips or other candy

Bake at 375

Desert Island Butter Cake

1 cup sugar
3 eggs
2 sticks melted butter
1 cup flour

Mix sugar and eggs until fluffy. Fold in melted butter and 1 cup flour until thoroughly mixed. Pour in greased 9" cake pan and bake at 350 until golden brown.

From Rosie's Bakery in Cambridge, Massachusetts.