Chocolate-Peanut Butter Pie

This is a low fat, low calorie dessert that is delicious. Nice treat!

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Pie

3/4 cup nut-like cereal nuggets (like Grape-Nuts), divided

2 cups chocolate low-fat ice cream, softened

1 small pkg chocolate sugar-free instant pudding

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1 cup frozen fat-free whipped topping, thawed

Sprinkly 1/2 cup cereal nuggets evenly in the bottom of an 8 inch round cake pan. Combine remaining 1/4 cup cereal nuggets, ice cream, pudding mix and peanut butter in a large bowl; stir until mixture is well blended. Fold in whipped topping. Spoon ice cream mixture into prepared pan, spreading gently with a spatula. Cover and freeze 2 hours, until firm. Let stand at room temperature 15 minutes before serving. Yield: 8 servings.

Nutritional info per serving: 177 calories, 5.0 gm fat (1.7 gm saturated), 28 gm carbohydrates, 2.0 g fiber, 5 mg cholesterol.

Strawberry Spinach Salad

This is one of my favorite salads!

Dressing:
1/4 cup supar or equivalent
/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup cooking oil
1 Tblsp poppy seeds
1/4 tsp paprika

Salad:
2 pints fresh strawberries
9 ounces baby spinach

Instructions:
Place all dressing ingredients in jar with lid or cruet with stopper and shake until thoroughly blended and mixture thickens slightly. Chill at least l hour before serving.
Rinse strawberries then hull and slice. Combine spinach and strawberries in large serving bowl. Pour dressing over mixture and toss well. Serve immediately.
Makes 8 servings.

Blueberry Dessert

This tasty desert has been made MANY times.  It is loved by all and when it is taken to an event, the recipe is always requested!

Heat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9X13 pan.

Mix together:
2 cups flour
1 cup softened butter/margarine
1 cup chopped pecans
½ cup brown sugar

Save back 1 cup of the crumb mixture and press the rest into the bottom of the 9X13 pan and bake till golden. Watch closely!

Cool before adding toppings.

Mix together:
1-8 oz softened cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1-16 oz (or larger) cool whip
½ to 1 cup coconut
¼ tsp almond flavoring

Open can of blueberry pie filling.

Spread half of the cream cheese mixture on cooled crust, then half of the pie filling, the remainder of the cream cheese mixture and then the remainder of the pie filling.

Crumble the cup of crust mixture over the top and refrigerate. Will be good for several days!


Variations:
Add extra blueberries to the pie filling so there are more berries and less goo. Be sure to clean and dry them.
Add extra pecans to the crust mixture that is sprinkled on top.
Add some oatmeal to the crust mixture and reduce the flour accordingly.
Can substitute another pie filling for the blueberry!

Dutch Apple Pie

This Dutch Apple Pie dessert was published in the Fall 2025 Taste of Home Magazine, submitted by Brenda DuFresne, Midland MI.  I have made it twice now and it is fabulous.  Rather than a traditional pie crust, you use an oatmeal based mixture for the crust and the crumble.  YUM!

Crust/crumble Ingredients

2 cups AP flour

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup quick-cooking oats

3/4 cup butter, melted

Filling Ingredients

2/3 cup sugar

3 TBSP cornstarch

1-1/4 cups cold water

4 cups chopped peeled tart apples (2 large or 3 medium)

1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Mix flour, brown sugar, oats and butter; reserve 3/4 cup mixture for topping.  Press the remaining mixture onto the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 9-in pie pan.

2. In a large saucepan, mix the sugar, cornstarch and water until smooth; bring to a boil.  Cook and stir until thickened, about 2 minutes.  Remove from the heat; stir in apples and vanilla.  Pour into crust.  Crumble topping over filling.

3. Bake until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly, 40-45 minutes.  Cover edges with foil during the last 20 minutes to prevent over browning if necessary.  Cool on a wire rack.  If desired, serve with ice cream and caramel.

Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

I can't tell you how often I've made this recipe.  I found it online by BargainBriana.com approximately 8 years ago and have made it MANY times since!  It is delicious.  When I get access to zucchini, I immediately make this recipe and then freeze as much as I can for future baking.  (You can use frozen, then thawed zucchini with no problem.)

Ingredients

3/4 cup sugar

3 TBSP vegetable oil (I use canola)

2 large eggs

1 cup applesauce (unsweetened)

2 cups all purpose flour (I use a combo that includes whole wheat flour)

2 TBSP unsweetened cocoa

1-1/4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1-1/2 cup shredded zucchini (don't skimp - be generous!)

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I use the mini's)

1/2 cup nuts (optional)

Instructions

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2) Combine sugar, oil and eggs in a large bowl.  Mix until well blended.

3) Stir in applesauce.

4) In a separate bowl combine, flour, cocoa, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.  Add dry ingredients to the egg mixture.

5) Stir in zucchini and chocolate chips (and nuts if desired).

6) Pour into a lightly greased 9" x 5" loaf pan.

7) Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Strawberry Angel Food Delight

I've been making this dessert for many years. It is one of Jim’s favorites!!  It comes together easily once you have your angel food cake done. Of course, you can always take a short cut and buy one ready-made at the store. I like to make mine from scratch and will share that recipe at a later time. (If you do make one from scratch, you won't be able to use the whole thing. Scratch angel food cakes are so much more dense then store bought that it will be more cake then you need in this recipe.)

Strawberry Angel Food Delight

1 angel food cake, cut into small chunks
1 can Eagle Brand condensed milk
¼ cup lemon juice
12 oz whipped topping
16 – 20 oz frozen strawberries in juice, thawed
1 cup chopped nuts

Beat sweetened condensed milk with lemon juice. Fold in whipped topping. Add strawberries and nuts. Pour mixture over cake chunks and mix until pieces are coated with mixture. Pour into a 9 X 13 or large bowl and chill until ready to serve.

Note: the calories/fat can be easily reduced by using low-fat or light products. It will still be delicious.

Easy Drop Danish (using Bisquick)

This is one of those recipes that I’ve made on and off for years.  I forget about it and then while flipping through my recipe binder, I come across it again and decide to pull it out.  I don’t always have Bisquick in my pantry but when I do, this is a delicious way to use it up.  (I normally buy it when I’m making dumplings to go along with pork loin).  Make sure you have some fruit preserves in your fridge.  I used a cookie scoop to drop the dough onto the pan.  I also used my finger to make the well for the fruit.  I sprayed Pam onto a paper towel and would dab my finger in it before spreading the dough.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup margarine or butter (softened)

2 TBSP sugar

2 cups Bisquick baking mix

2/3 cup milk

1/4 cup any flavor preserves

Mix margarine/butter, sugar and Bisquick until crumbly.

Stir in milk until dough forms, beat 15 strokes.

Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 2” apart onto lightly greased cookie sheet.

Make a shallow well in center of each with the back of a spoon (I used my greased finger).

Fill the well with 1 teaspoon of preserves.

Bake at 450 degrees F for 10-15 minutes or until golden.

Mix up glaze while baking and then while warm, drizzle with glaze and enjoy!

Glaze ingredients:

2/3 cup powdered sugar

1 TBSP warm water (I used milk from fridge)

1/4 tsp vanilla

Beat together the glaze ingredients until smooth. (I put the glaze in a small plastic bag, snip the corner off and then drizzle.)