Spice Applesauce Cake

Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
3 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 cup butter
2 cups packed brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
3 cups unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup raisins (and/or walnuts)

Directions:

1.Whisk together flour, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and soda. Set aside.
2.Cream together 1/2 cup butter or margarine and 2 cups brown sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Mix in eggs. Add flour mixture into creamed mixture alternately with applesauce, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir in the raisins, dates, and walnuts. Pour into greased and floured tube pan.
3.Bake at 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) for 1 1/2 hours, or until done. Cool.

Rating:
Moist, great flavor, and makes the whole house smell of fall (9/10)

Banana Fudge Layer Cake

Ingredients:
1 package yellow cake mix
1 1/3 cups water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 cup mashed ripe banana (about 3 medium)
1 container chocolate frosting

Directions:
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 2 9-inch round cake pans
2.Combine cake mix, water, oil, and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Beat at low spead until thourghly combined then stir in banana
3. Pour into prepared pans, batke for 28-31 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pans for 15 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely
4.Fill an frost cake with frosting. Garnish as desired

Rating:
If you like bananas and chocolate then you will love this moist yummy cake. (9/10)

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons hot water
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2.Cream together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth.
3.Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla.
4.Dissolve baking soda in hot water. Add to batter along with salt. Stir in flour and chocolate chips. Drop by large spoonfuls onto ungreased pans.
5.Bake for about 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are nicely browned.

Ratings:
Family enjoyed them, but in my opinion they lacked a little bit in the taste department. I give them an 8/10

Lemonade Pie

thank you to Sophia for sharing this refreshing and delicious recipe :)

Ingredients:
4 cups vanilla ice cream, softened
6 oz. can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
1 9" graham cracker crust

Directions:
1.Mix softened icecream and lemonade concentrate until blended. Immediately spoon into graham cracker crust.
2.Freeze about four hours until firm.
3.Garnish with strawberry slices (I sprinkle with sugar on top of berries.) Let stand at room temp long enough to add the strawberry slices before serving. (Any other fruit juice concentrate will work as well. I used Strawberry-Banana-Orange juice!)

Rating:
a great fast summer treat to bring to a BBQ or family gathering (8/10)

Coconut cake with homemade coconut cream cheese icing

Ingredients:
1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
1 (3.5 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
1 1/3 cups water
4 eggs
1/4 cup cream of coconut
2 cups flaked coconut
1 cup chopped walnuts

icing=
4 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons cream of coconut
2 teaspoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

Directions:
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 2 8x8(or 9x9) inch pans. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, pudding mix, water, eggs and cream of coconut. Blend for 4 minutes. Stir in 2 cups coconut and the chopped nuts. Evenly distribute batter into both greased pans.
Bake for 30-45 minutes. Allow to cool.
2.to brown coconut: Melt 2 Tablespoons of butter over low heat. Add 3/4 cup of the coconut and stir until browned. Dry on paper towel.
3.frosting:Cream other 2 tablespoons butter with cream cheese. Alternately add milk and powdered sugar. Add vanilla and cream of coconut.
4.Spread Icing on cake and sprinkle with browned coconut.

Rating/comments-not too coconutty and the browned coconut on top makes a big difference. (9.5/10)

Snowflake sugar cookie cut-outs

Ingredients:
17.5-ounce package dry sugar cookie mix
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or other flavoring
1 cup all-purpose flour

Royal Icing:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon meringue powder
Water, for icing consistency

Directions:
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2.Combine the cookie mix with the cream cheese until crumbly. Mix in the eggs and flavoring until well combined. Add enough flour to make a firm dough that can be rolled out. Roll dough out on lightly floured board to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out snow flakes, doves, or other desired shapes.
3.Place on ungreased baking sheet and bake for about 8 minutes.
4.While the cookies are baking, make the icing by combining powdered sugar and meringue powder. Add 1 teaspoon of water at a time until it reaches desired consistency.
5.Decorate cookies with royal icing. Allow to dry for 1 hour.

Rating/comments: (8.5/10)-the cookies are yummy but the icing may be too overpowering

Lemon drop cookies

Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter softened
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup finely ground walnuts
2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest
1/3 cup confectioners sugar(to coat)

Directions:
1.beat together butter and 1/2 cup sugar in bowl until creamy. Add lemon juice and vanilla. On low speed ,beat in flour,nuts and zest (dough will be slightly stiff). Wrap in plastic and refrigerate 1 hour
2.heat oven to 325 degrees. Pinch off heaping tablespoonfuls of dough. Roll into balls. Place 1-2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets
3.bake cookies for 16-18 minutes, or until slightly browned near the bottoms of the cookies. sift remaining 1/3 confectioners sugar over still-warm cookies to coat.

rating/comments: (7.5/10) I'm not a big fan of a dryer type cookie and that is what these cookies are.