Applebee’s Blondie with Maple butter sauce

Brownies

1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups margarine or butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup loosely chopped walnuts or pecans
1 cup white chocolate, chunk (or chips)

Maple butter sauce

1 1/3 cups sugar
1 cup whipping cream
2/3 cup butter
2 teaspoons maple flavoring

Directions:

For Brownies: In mixer blend butter, and brown sugar. Then add baking powder, salt, vanilla, and then eggs. Mix in flour. fold in chips and nuts.
Grease a 9 by 13-inch pan and smooth brownie mixture in with a spatula. Bake 350°F for 22-25 minutes.

Top should be shiny and firm when you touch the center with a finger -- do not over bake or it will be dry (oven temps may vary so watch brownies closely).
Sauce: Combine first 3 ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Cook for 2-3 minutes, remove from heat and add flavoring.

Assembly: While they are still warm, cut brownies into 12 pieces, they may be a little crumbly--they are more cake like in texture. Place a brownie on a plate and top with 2 scoops of ice cream. Then drizzle with sauce and sprinkle with more nuts.

Juretta's Homemade Ice Cream

Homemade Ice Cream

(To be made in an electric ice maker (4 qt) using ice/ice cream salt)

I am sure the recipes could be changed to be compatible for a small in-home electric no ice required countertop ice cream maker - but I havent taken the time to do the conversions myself, because i dont have one of those nifty little gadgets yet.  But maybe one day soon!  ANYWAY-- moving on... to the ice cream recipes!!

VANILLA:

3 eggs

2 cans of sweetened condensed milk

2 (8 oz) cool whip

1 tsp of vanilla

fill to line with milk

CHOCOLATE: 

3 eggs

2 cans of sweetened condensed milk

2 (8 oz) cool whip

1 container of chocolate syrup

fill to line with milk

STRAWBERRY: 

3 eggs

2 cans of sweetened condensed milk

2 (8 oz) cool whip

2 cups of chopped fresh or frozen strawberries (fresh are best)

fill to line with milk

red food coloring until a light pink shade (a couple of drops)

PEACH:

3 eggs

2 cans of sweetened condensed milk

2 (8 oz) cool whip

2 cups of chopped fresh or frozen peaches (fresh are best)

fill to line with milk

yellow and red food coloring until a soft orange shade (a couple of drops each)

DREAM CICLE:

3 eggs

2 cans of sweetened condensed milk

2 (8 oz) cool whip

fill to line with Slice orange drink 

This recipe makes soft-serve homemade ice cream.  You can put it in the freezer in an air tight container to harden to your family's preferred consistency.  You can really use the base recipe for any flavor of ice cream you really want.  These are just our family's favorites.  They are all to die for.  The fruit recipes are especially good in the summer when the fruit is in season.  

Thanks to my God Mother Juretta for the recipe!

Unfortunately, I dont think this recipe can be made into a sugar-free recipe.  I've never seen sweetened condensed milk that is sugar free.  But you could use sugar free cool whip and reduced fat sweetened condensed milk to feel more guilt-free if you like :)

You know, my family LOVES marble slab ice cream and how they mix together the cheesecake flavored ice cream with fresh strawberries and fresh graham crackers... I bet I could tweak this recipe to get it cheesecake flavored and then we could add in the strawberries and graham crackers at the end and this would be even MORE FABULOUS.. Gosh im starvin just thinkin about it!

Strawberry Shortcake

strawberry shortcake

Butter Recipe Yellow Cake (prepared to instructions in a bundt pan)

1/2 of a 1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream container (softened)

fresh strawberries (sliced)

1/2 cup sugar

whipped cream

Macerate the strawberries with 1/2 cup of sugar. Set aside.

Take the cake and slice it horizontally in half and place the bottom half back into the pan and spread the softened vanilla ice cream onto the cake and top with the other half of the cake. Let it freeze for another 30 minutes to an hour to stiffen up the ice cream. Slice and serve with strawberries and whip cream.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Ingredients

• 2 1/2-3 cups of graham cracker crumbs
  
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter (melter)
  
• 1/2 cup sugar
  
• 2 (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
  
• 1 + 1/3 cup sugar
  
• 1 tbsp + 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice**
  
• 4 eggs
  
• 1 large can pumpkin (NOT Pumpkin pie filling)

Line outside of spring form pan with two layers of aluminum foil. Take the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter and mix together. Press into a lightly greased spring form pan. (I trace parchment paper and cut it into the shape of the bottom of the pan and sit it inside the pan and then spray the lining of the pan - parchment paper too). Press mixture firmly on the inside of the pan and halfway up the sides. Bake for 10 minutes at 350.


Mix softened cream cheese until whipped - scraping down the sides AND BOTTOM of the bowl as necessary. Add in sugar (1/3 cup at a time) until well incorporated - scrape sides and bottom of bowl again. Add in the pumpkin pie spice. Fold in the pumpkin. Add in eggs (1 at a time - mixing well in between each). Pour into pie crust we prepared earlier. Cook for 15 minutes at 350 and cut the heat back to 300 and bake an additional 45-50 minutes. Cut the oven off and open the door of the oven and let it cool another 30 minutes (with the door open and the oven off). After 30 minutes, bring it to a cool place on top of the counter to cool for an additional hour. After the hour and half cool down, you can safely move the cheesecake to the fridge without shocking it.



*** NOTE*** DO NOT over mix the cheesecake once the eggs are in! Your cheesecake will puff up like a souffle and then fall and crack -- and it will be UGLY! -- On a turtle cheesecake, you can hide it because you could fill the cracks with the toppings, but the pumpkin isn't as forgiving!



Serve the cheesecake cold - topped with a dollop of cool whip! Its amazing! This particular recipe is not that impressive warm, but its fabulous cold!

Jen's Banana Pudding (Sugar Free)

2 pkg regular sized Sugar Free Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix (dry powder)
1 pkg regular sized Sugar Free Instant Banana Cream Pudding Mix (dry powder)
4 cups of milk
2 tub of Sugar Free Cool Whip
4 Bananas (ripe - bright yellow -- not black, but not green) (sliced into 1/8-1/4'' slices)
1 box of Sugar Free Vanilla Wafers (Nilla)
1 tsp of vanilla


Mix together the dry pudding mixs and the milk until smooth. Whip in 1 tub of Sugar Free Cool Whip.

Take out a handful of the wafers and reserve. Split the remaining box of wafers into two parts.

In a 9 x 13 pan (I use a Pyrex glass dish), layer 1/2 of the wafers, 1/2 the bananas, and then 1/2 the pudding mixture (in that order). Put on second layer of wafers, the rest of the bananas, and then the rest of the pudding mixture. In the Cool Whip tub, mix in 1 tsp of vanilla. Once well incorporated, smooth on as the very top layer. Crush the reserved handful of Vanilla Wafers and sprinkle them on top for garnish.

Enjoy~!

Woody's Coconut Cream Pie

Woody's Coconut Cream Pie

Ingredients

1 Prepared Graham Cracker Crust

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 of 16 oz can of cream of coconut (its between 3/4 and 1 cup, depending on brand)
1 (3.4-ounce) package Jell-O Coconut Cream Pie instant pudding mix (just the dry powder - not prepared pudding)
1 (8-ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed (Sugar free coolwhip is what I used)

Garnish/Topping:

4 oz of whipped topping, thawed (Sugar free coolwhip is what I used)

1/4 cup of toasted flaked coconut

Preparation

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Blend in cream of coconut at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Add pudding mix, beating until blended. Add whipped topping until well-incoorporated. Spread cheese mixture evenly into prepared crust. Top with 4 oz of thawed topping (I used sugar free cool whip). In a dry skillet over medium heat, lightly toast some shredded coconut until golden brown. Sprinkle toasted coconut over the pie and chill for 2 hours.

Yields: 1 pie

French Toast with Maple Roasted Bacon

For the French Toast:
Loaf of French Bread sliced into 1/2''-1'' slices (diagonally)
5 eggs
splash of milk
1/4 cup of sugar
1 tbsp of cinnamon
pinch of salt and pepper
Maple syrup to drizzle over the top
Butter to top it and for the pan


For the Bacon:
1 lb of bacon
1/4 cup of sugarfree maple syrup
1/4-1/2 tsp of pepper (your preference)


French Toast:

Mix the cinnamon and sugar. Dump in 1/4 of the cinnamon/sugar mixture into the eggs and scramble them up really good with the milk. Add salt and pepper. Roll the bread in the egg mixture coating all sides and pan fry in melted butter until golden brown. Top the pieces with sprinkles of cinnamon/sugar, light coating of butter, and maple syrup.



Maple Roasted Bacon:

Preheat the oven to 350. Mix the maple syrup and the pepper together and stir. Cover two baking sheets with tin foil and coat with nonstick spray. Lay strips of bacon out in a single layer and brush the bacon with the peppered maple syrup. Bake for 10 minutes and flip the bacon and then brush the other side. Bake for 10 more minutes, or until the desired crispiness is reached.



Enjoy! :)

Chocolate Fudge

Chocolate Fudge

1 stick of butter
1/2 lb of velveeta cheese cut into tiny chunks

1 tsp of vanilla
1/2 cup of chopped pecans

1/2 cup cocoa powder

2 (1 lb) boxes of Confectionary sugar


Melt the first two ingredients in a skillet over low to medium heat. Once smooth, stir in the vanilla and pecans. Dump the powdered sugar and cocoa powder into a large mixing bowl and pour in the cheesy. Stir it in until the mixture gets cool enough you can handle and kneed with your hands until it comes together as fudge. Pat it into a greased pan. You CAN cut it immediately and serve, but it cuts easier if you wait 5-10 minutes before removing it from platter.

Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Fudge

Peanut Butter Fudge

1 stick of butter

1/2 lb of velveeta cheese cut into tiny chunks

1 cup of peanut butter

1 tsp of vanilla

1/2 cup of chopped pecans

2 (1 lb) boxes of Confectionary sugar

Melt the first three ingredients in a skillet over low to medium heat. Once smooth, stir in the vanilla and pecans. Dump the powdered sugar into a large mixing bowl and pour in the peanut butter mixture. Stir it in until the mixture gets cool enough you can handle and kneed with your hands until it comes together as fudge. Pat it into a greased pan and wait at least 30 minutes before cutting and removing from platter. If you have a whole lot of butter and it runs out the top while youre patting it down into your pan, feel free to blot it with a papertowel.

Enjoy!

Homemade Reese cups

Reese cups

1 cup of melted butter

1 cup of reeses peanut butter

1 (1lb) box of confectionary sugar

1/2 cup of melted milk chocolate chips

Mix the first three ingredients together and roll into little balls. (I put them in mini muffin papers) and then spoon over the melted chocolate and let them set.

Enjoy!

Sausage balls

Sausage balls

• 1 lb of Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• 1 lb of Regular breakfast sausage (Mild or hot)
• 3 cups of biscuit mix

Dump everything in a bowl (with the sausage raw) and mix with your hands and kneed everything until it comes together and isn't too dry or too wet. Sometimes the consistency varies because of other factors ( i.e. weather, altitude, etc). You can add up to 1 cup extra of biscuit mix if its too wet and add up to 1/4 cup of milk if its too dry. Roll into little balls or use a 1 tbsp ice cream scoop (like you use for cookies) and scoop out onto a greased pan. I line mine with tinfoil and spray the tinfoil. Bake 18-20 minutes at 350.

You can precook your sausage, but then you have to wait on the grease to cool and its a bigger mess. If you precook your sausage, you only need to cook them about 10-12 minutes.

The Best Cheesecake you've ever had!

The Best Cheesecake you've ever had!


Crust:
1.5 cups of crushed Honey Graham Crackers
1.5 tbsp of melted butter
1/4 to 1/2 tsp of Cinnamon (Depending on your taste)
1/2 cup light brown sugar

Filling:
4 (8 oz) blocks of cream cheese
1 + 1/3 cup of white sugar
1 tbsp + 1 tsp vanilla
4 eggs (added one at a time)

Parchment paper, Nonstick Spray, Aluminum Foil

(Use a 10'' nonstick spring-form pan with the outside covered in tinfoil and the inside lined with parchment paper and lightly sprayed with nonstick spray)

1. Preheat oven to 300.
2. Mix crumbs, butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar; press firmly onto bottom and 2 inches up side of pan.
3. Remove your cream cheese block from the foil and microwave for about 30 seconds up to 1 minute (cream cheese can cook and brown just like mozzarella cheese on a pizza - so be careful and don't over do it on the time in the microwave!)
4. Place into mixer and mix until creamy. Add sugar in slowly. When sugar is completely incorporated, add in the vanilla, 1 tsp at a time. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Do NOT over mix your cheesecake! It will make it rise and fall like a souffle and then leave the possibility wide-open for your cheesecake to crack during the cooking process (which can also happen if the cheesecake is cooled too quickly).
5. Pour into crust. Bake 1 hour 5 minutes to 1 hour 10 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on the counter for at least one hour, preferably two. If you cover your cheesecake and refrigerate it while still warm, condensation will gather on the underside of the cover and drip onto the cake, making the first layer slimy and discolored -- so its important that you cool it slowly. By cooling too quickly -- not only do you have to worry about the slimy discoloration, but also the risk of having a cracked cheesecake and a huge trench to fill -- so don't skip this part......Trust me :)
6. Run knife or metal spatula around side of pan to loosen cake. Chill completely for at least 4 hours (if not overnight) in the fridge before removing side of pan.
7. After cooling, run the knife around the edges again. Unlatch the spring form around the circular bottom and gently lift it up the sides of the cake. Gently lift the cheesecake off of the spring form bottom and parchment using a large, thin spatula and transfer it to whatever you're going to serve it in. Do not top your cheesecake until its transferred to your serving platter or else you'll have a mess! You may top your cheesecake with whatever you want before serving, whether its a chocolate ganache, fresh fruit, a fruit topping, or just plain. My family loves it just the way it is. The first time I served it, I served it with a strawberry sauce. At the end of the night, I ended up taking home an empty cheesecake platter and a bowl full of strawberry sauce. If you're looking for something to serve this in, without having to use your spring form pan, I found some party platters that are perfect for Cheesecakes at Walmart. They have a thick aluminum bottom and a plastic top. Totally disposable! The only thing is -- wrap them in at least two layers of aluminum foil (the platter with the cheesecake inside) before transporting them anywhere. It will ensure your dessert will arrive safely and more intact!
8. Store left overs in fridge! Enjoy!

Brownie Bottom Cheesecake

Prep Time: 40 min

Total Time: 5 hr 40 min

Makes: 16 servings

4 squares Unsweetened Baking Chocolate
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
2-1/4 cups sugar, divided
5 eggs, divided
1/4 cup milk
2 tsp. vanilla, divided
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
3 pkg. (8 oz. each) Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 cup Sour Cream

1. PREHEAT oven to 325°F. Microwave chocolate and butter in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 min. or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Add 1-1/2 cups of the sugar; mix well.
2. ADD 2 of the eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Add milk and 1 tsp. of the vanilla; mix well. Combine flour and salt. Gradually add to chocolate mixture, mixing after each addition just until blended. Spread evenly into greased and floured 9-inch springform pan. Bake 25 min.
3. BEAT cream cheese, remaining 3/4 cup sugar and remaining 1 tsp. vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add sour cream; mix well. Add remaining 3 eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Pour over brownie layer in pan (Filling will come almost to top of pan.)
4. BAKE 55 min. to 1 hour or until center is almost set. Run knife or metal spatula around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim of pan. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Let stand at room temperature 30 min. before serving. Store leftover cheesecake in refrigerator.

Chocolate Lover's Cheesecake

Prep Time: 10 min

Total Time: 3 hr 50 min

Makes: 8 servings

2 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
4 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate, melted, slightly cooled
1 OREO Pie Crust (6 oz.)

1. PREHEAT oven to 325°F. Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs; mix just until blended. Stir in melted chocolate. Pour into crust.
2. BAKE 40 minutes or until center is almost set; cool.
3. REFRIGERATE several hours or overnight. Store leftover cheesecake in refrigerator.

Chocolate Ribbon Pie

Prep Time: 15 min

Total Time: 4 hr 15 min

Makes: 8 servings

4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. milk
1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided
1 OREO Pie Crust (6 oz.)
2 cups cold milk
2 pkg. (4-serving size each) JELL-O Chocolate Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling

1. BEAT cream cheese, sugar and 1 Tbsp. milk in large bowl with wire whisk until smooth. Gently stir in half of the whipped topping. Spread on bottom of crust.
2. POUR 2 cups milk into large bowl. Add dry pudding mixes. Beat with wire whisk 2 minutes or until well blended. (Mixture will be thick.) Pour over cream cheese layer.
3. REFRIGERATE 4 hours or until set. Just before serving, garnish with remaining whipped topping and 2 Tbsp. shaved chocolate. Store leftover pie in refrigerator.

Turtle Cheesecake

• 1 package of oreos ground down into crumbs (use either a food processor or blender)
• 6 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted
• 1 squeeze bottle of Hershey's caramel sundae ice cream topping (Do NOT use SMUCKERS! It hardens in the oven and makes your crust so hard you can't even eat it OR 1 bag of kraft individually wrapped caramels + 2 tbsp of milk or evaporated milk
• 1 bag of chopped pecans
• 3 pkg. (8 oz. each) Cream Cheese or neuchatel cheese, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 bag of milk chocolate morsels
• Parchment paper, Nonstick Spray, Aluminum Foil

(Use a 9'' nonstick spring-form pan with the outside covered in tinfoil and the inside lined with parchment paper and lightly sprayed with nonstick spray)

1. Preheat oven to 300.
2. Mix crumbs and butter; press firmly onto bottom and 2 inches up side of pan.
3. Pour half of the caramel and pecans into the crust. Refrigerate 10 minutes.
4. Remove your cream cheese block from the foil and microwave for about 30 seconds up to 1 minute (cream cheese can cook and brown just like motzarella cheese on a pizza - so be careful and don't over do it on the time in the microwave! -- The whole point of microwaving it is just getting it warm - not hot - so you will have a smooth cheesecake, free of lumps).
5. Place into mixer and mix until creamy. Add sugar in slowly. When sugar is completely incorporated, add in the vanilla, 1 tsp at a time. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Do NOT overmix your cheesecake! It will make it rise and fall like a souffle and then leave the possibility wide-open for your cheesecake to crack during the cooking process (which can also happen if the cheesecake is cooled too quickly).
6. Pour over caramel layer in crust. Bake 1 hour 5 minutes to 1 hour 10 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on the counter for at least one hour, preferably two. If you cover your cheesecake and refrigerate it while still warm, condensation will gather on the underside of the cover and drip onto the cake, making the first layer slimey and discolored -- so its important that you cool it slowly. By cooling too quickly -- not only do you have to worry about the slimey discoloration, but also the risk of having a cracked cheesecake and a huge trench to fill -- so dont skip this part......Trust me :)
7. Run knife or metal spatula around side of pan to loosen cake. Chill completely for at least 4 hours (if not overnight) in the fridge before removing side of pan.
8. After cooling, run the knife around the edges again. Unlatch the spring form around the circular bottom and gently lift it up the sides of the cake. Gently lift the cheesecake off of the spring form bottom and parchment using a large, thin spatula and transfer it to whatever you're going to serve it in. Do not top your cheesecake until its transferred to your serving platter or else you'll have a mess! If you're looking for something to serve this in, without having to use your spring form pan, I found some party platters that are perfect for Cheesecakes at Walmart. They have a thick aluminum bottom and a plastic top. Totally disposable! The only thing is -- wrap them in at least two layers of aluminum foil (the platter with the cheesecake inside) before transporting them anywhere. It will ensure your dessert will arrive safely and more intact!
9. Pour over the remaining caramel and pecans (reheat if using the kind you have to melt) Melt chocolate chips + 2 tbsp of milk in the microwave for 15-30 seconds until they are a consistency you can drizzle over the cake. Store leftover cheesecake in refrigerator.
10. You may even top it with a few more chocolate chips! Its your cheesecake! Indulge how you wish!
    

This recipe is VERY forgiving and can be altered depending on your needs.

For example:





For a 10'' spring-form pan, you'll need:


1 package of oreos pureed to just crumbs
1 stick of butter


4 bars of cream cheese
4 eggs
1 & 1/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp + 1 tsp vanilla

(caramel & nuts don't change)

Bake an extra few minutes until the middle just barely jiggles.



For a 12'' spring-form pan, you'll need:

1 package of oreos pureed to just crumbs

1 stick of butter

5 bars of cream cheese
5 eggs
1 & 2/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp + 2 tsp vanilla
(caramel & nuts don't change)


Bake an extra few minutes until the middle just barely jiggles.




No spring-form pan ~ No problem!

Turn it into little individual cheesecakes with a muffin tin!

Cut your recipe to:

1 cup of oreo crumbs
3 tbsp butter
2 bars of cream cheese
2 eggs
2/3 cup of sugar
2 tsp vanilla

Press a spoonful of your cookie mixture into cupcake liners in a muffin tin and spoon over the cheesecake mixture and bake for 20 minutes.


Not in the mood for chocolate?? (Although *I* MYSELF could not imagine that. . .)

You can substitute the oreo and butter for plain graham cracker crumbs and butter and top the cheesecake with your choice of either fresh fruit or fruit topping or even PIE filling!

For the individual cheesecakes: You can substitute the cookie mixture and put in a Nilla wafer in place of the crust and top with fruit topping! (pictured above with blueberry pie filling).

You cannot go WRONG with this recipe!

Trust me!

Everything here is:

Jennifer Tested

Mother Approved

Cheesecake Brownie Bars

• 1 box of brownie mix
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 3 egg whites, divided
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 pkg. (8 oz.) Neufchatel Cheese, (Same flavor, less fat - Made by Philadelphia) softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup flour

1. PREHEAT oven to 350°F.
2. Mix brownie mix, applesauce, 2 of the egg whites and water. Pour into 13x9-inch baking pan sprayed with cooking spray.
3. MIX Neufchatel cheese, sugar, flour and remaining egg white until well blended. Spoon over brownie batter. Cut through batter with knife several times for marble effect.
4. BAKE 28 to 30 min. or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out with fudgy crumbs attached. Cool in pan on wire rack.
   

*Chef's Tip*

Serve warm with Vanilla Bean ice cream OR ice cream AND fudge sauce, whip cream, and a cherry. This recipe gets a HUGE wow with very little effort!


Thanks to kraftfoods for this delicious recipe!


WOW FACTOR: HIGH

Chocolate Brownie Ice Cream Cake

1/2 gallon of good chocolate ice cream (its worth the splurge to buy the good stuff)
1 box of brownie mix (prepared to box instructions)
1 bottle of Magic Shell chocolate ice cream topping
1/2 cup of chopped pecans

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Line the outside of a 10" x 2" springform pan with aluminum foil and spray the inside with nonstick cooking spray.
3. Prepare brownie batter according to box.
4. Pour into the spring form pan and bake. Take them out about 8-10 minutes early so they are still gooey.
5. Top with half of the bottle of magic shell chocolate and 1/2 of the chopped pecans.
6. Spoon in the softened chocolate ice cream and smooth down.
7. Top with the remaining magic shell chocolate and the remainder of the pecans.
8. Cover with tin foil and freeze until the ice cream is re-frozen 2-6 hours.

This is absolutely the BEST ice cream cake I personally have ever eaten. DQ ain't got nothin on this winner!

Homemade Chicken Alfredo

• 1 (8 ounce) box of fettuccine
• 1 package of non-breaded chicken tenders or boneless skinless breasts
• 1 tbsp of olive oil (used only if cooking chicken in a skillet on the stove)
• 1 stick of butter
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 + 1/2 cups grated/shredded Parmesan cheese.
• 1 cup of motzerella cheese
• 1 tub of cream cheese
• 1/2 tsp of salt
• 1/8 tsp ground black pepper (I would NOT use fresh cracked for this recipe)
• Chopped fresh parsley for garnish (optional) - (Garnish with FRESH herbs ONLY. DO NOT garnish with dried. The flavor would be too overbearing to use dried parsley flakes)

1. Cook fettuccine according to directions on the package.
2. Brown chicken (cut into bite-sized pieces) in the olive oil OR grill them on an indoor grill (i.e. George Foreman grill). After they're done, let them rest for a few minutes before you slice them into bite-sized pieces to keep them juicy.
3. While fettuccine is cooking, add in the heavy cream and butter into a sauce pan and stir until its hot and bubbly and the butter has completely melted. Add in the salt & pepper and the cheeses and stir until completely melted. This part may take a while - but be patient, its well worth the wait!
4. Cook pasta until its tender and drain.
5. Pour cooked pasta and chicken into a bowl and drizzle over it the white sauce and fold thoroughly until every tender morsel is coated in this YUMMY sauce!
6. Garnish with parsley if you feel its completely necessary. Usually the only garnish I need is some extra parmesan cheese on top! Enjoy!

Okay okay..... I know this is an incredibly sinful recipe, so I put a less guilty version. Replace the five purple ingredients above with these five purple ingredients below. The method is the same.

1/3 cup margarine
1/2 cup evaporated fat-free milk
3/4 cup grated reduced-fat Parmesan cheese blend
3/4 cup of reduced fat motz. cheese
1 canister of fat free cream cheese

This is a very versatile recipe. Feel free to add peas or broccoli, substitute the chicken with shrimp or a mixture of both, and you can also switch up the type of pasta you use, from fettuccini to rotini, penne, or whatever you like!   

Chocolate Lover's Dream Cake

• Cooking spray and flour for dusting pan
• Box of Butter Recipe Fudge Cake mix
• Box of Instant Chocolate Pudding Mix
• 4 large eggs
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) of soften/semi-melted butter
• 1/2 cup of warm water
• 1 cup of sour cream
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks
• 1/2 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips
• Tub of Chocolate Fudge Frosting (*NOTE - can substitute 1 cup of either choc. chunks or choc. chips and not mix them*)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Dump everything except chocolate chips & chunks and frosting into a bowl and mix with an electric mixer until smooth.

Fold in Chips/chunks.

Pour into greased/floured Bundt or angel food cake pan and bake for around 50 minutes until done.

Cook for 10 minutes and remove from pan.

Frost with Chocolate fudge frosting when completely cooled.

***Yields one cake***