Too Easy Cheese Danish Braid

Ingredients:

One sheet of puff pastry
4 ounce package of cream cheese
2 Tablespoons sugar
One egg yolk
One egg white, beaten til frothy

Powdered sugar icing


Lay sheet of pastry on cookie sheet.  Slice both sides into strips about 1/3 into the width of the sheet leaving one-third at center solid and uncut.

In a bowl, beat cream cheese til smooth, add sugar and egg yolk and blend until smooth.  Spoon onto the middle of the sheet of pastry, then fold the cut strips over to the center.  One side, then the other side, overlapping.

Brush the top of braid with the egg white.
Bake 350 degrees til browned.

Drizzle with ordinary powdered sugar icing. (Canned icing will work)

Connie’s Chocolate Pie

I made chocolate pies for years without a recipe.  I once took one to the salon and a client (Inez Shutes),  bragged on how good it was and asked for my recipe. I told her I didn’t really have a recipe, but told her the ingredients.  She told me it would be simple to measure each ingredient and write it down! 

She was a weekly client of the salon and every week she asked about it, prodding me to get it done.   So I did, just to get her to hush about it!! I doubt I ez ever used that recipe, but I’ve given it out dozens of times to those who have.  

When the estate sale was held, I went and bought one of Inez’s pie plates.  I think of her every time I make chocolate pies.  I’m not sure I could make them without the recipe!

Thanks Inez.  

Crust

1 1/3 cup plain flour
1/2 cup cooking oil
3 Tablespoons water
dash of salt

Mix well and press into glass pie plate.  Bale 350 degrees until lightly brown


Filling :

1 2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup plain flour
5 Tablespoons cocoa powder
1 1/2 cup milk
2 Tablespoons butter
4 egg yolks
1 Teaspoon vanilla


Mix all dry ingredients, then add the others.  Cook over medium heat, continuously stirring with wire whisk until thickened.

Pour into baked crust, top with meringue and bake until meringue is browned



Meringue:

4 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar

Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form, add sugar a little at a time while beating.  Spoon onto pie filling.  Bake until browned at 350 degrees

For the pies in this picture, I used deep dish pie plates, so I tripled the recipe for the two pies.  

I got the recipe for the crust from someone long ago when I worked at Ruby's Beauty Shop.  I don't like frozen pie crusts, and I don't like the messiness of rolling out my own.  This is easy to mix up in a bowl, press it into the pie plate, and be done! 


The filling is my own concoction. 

 Inez Shutes pressed me for my recipe until I measured everything as I was making it and wrote it down for her.  I doubt she ever made it, but I am sure glad she made me do it!  

Too Easy Apple Dumplings

1 can crescent rolls
1 Granny Smith apple, cut into 8 wedges
1 cup apple juice
2/3 cup sugar
1 stick melted butter
cinnamon

Roll up each wedge of apple in a triangle of crescent roll
Place them in 8x8 baking dish
Combine melted butter, sugar, and apple juice and pour over
Sprinkle with cinnamon

Bake at 350 degrees until browned.
Allow to sit at least 10 minutes before serving.  The liquid will thicken to sauce consistency.

Beth Minardi's Perfect Chocolate Cake

 I haven’t made this but I might.....



The Perfect Chocolate Cake. 

3 ounces very dark, semi-sweet baking chocolate, melted in the microwave
½ cup butter or margarine (I prefer butter)
2 ½ cups light brown sugar, lightly packed
3 eggs
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 ¼ cups sifted cake flour
1 cup sour cream
1 cup boiling water

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Grease and flour 3 9-inch round cake pans
• In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter until smooth.
• Gradually add in the brown sugar, followed by the eggs.
• Beat with mixer until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
• On low speed, beat in the vanilla extract, melted chocolate, baking soda, and salt.
• Add flour alternately with sour cream, beating at low speed until smooth.
• Add hot (boiling) water and stir until blended.
• Pour into the prepared pans.
• Bake for 25 minutes, or until a tester inserted into middle of cake comes out clean.
• Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes; then invert onto a wire rack and cool completely.

Too Easy Butter Roll

Too Easy Butter Roll 

Ingredients

• 1 Can Crescent Roll Dough ( 8 ounces)
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1/8 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Milk Sauce
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Roll out crescent roll dough onto greased or floured surface. Press seams together.
2. Spread softened butter over dough, leaving 1/2 inch space at edges on all sides. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Roll up longways and squeeze lightly with hands to seal.
3. Cut into 10-12 slices.
4. Placed slices in greased 8 inch round pan.
5. Place milk and vanilla in measuring cup and heat in microwave until very warm. Stir in sugar until dissolved. Pour over rolls.
6. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Once removed from oven, let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.
7. Serve warm and enjoy!

Texas Sweet Cake

Ora Askew gave me this recipe in the late 70s.  She called it Texas Sweet Cake.  I have seen variations on it but I always use this simple, tried and true version.  

For the cake:

Melt 1 stick butter and 1 cup Crisco in a saucepan

Add 4 tablespoons cocoa and stir til blended 

Add 1 cup water and bring to a boil 

Set aside 

In large mixing bowl:

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 eggs

1 teaspoon soda

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon cinnamon 

Beat until smooth then add:

2 cups sugar

2 cups all purpose flour

Blend well, mixture will be thick 

Pour in the melted butter and Crisco mixture and stir until well mixed and smooth. 

Bake in a greased and floured 9x13 pan at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. 

While the cake is baking, prepare the frosting. 

Cream together:

1 stick softened butter

4 tablespoons cocoa

6 tablespoons milk

When smooth, add one box powdered sugar and beat until fluffy.  

Frost the cake while it’s hot.  

Chopped pecans top it off! 

Too Easy Coconut-Pecan Poundcake

1 cake mix w/pudding
4 eggs
1 cup oil
1 cup water
1container of ready made coconut pecan cake frosting

Bake in prepared Bundt pan for one hour @350 degrees

Sue Ella Rankin brought me one of these once, and I got the recipe for it that day.  I've used various favors of cake mixes, they are all good! Very easy and yummy yummy !  I made this one with a Red Velvet mix left over from my nieces wedding cupcakes.