BREAD MACHINE WHOLE WHEAT BREAD

2-1/2 t dry yeast
2-1/4 cup bread flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1-1/2 t salt
1-1/2 T sugar
1/1-2 T dry skim milk
4-1/2 t shortening or sweet butter
1-1/2 cup less 3 T lukewarm water

1 - Put in dry yeast by edge
2 - Add all ingredients except water
3 - pour in water
4 - Press select button for white bread
5 - Press start

I was hoping this would turn out good, but alas it's kind of hard.  I thought it was also weird when it says to select the button for white bread instead of wheat.  Oh well.  Lately I've been just using the dough mode for my bread machine and then turning out the dough into pans and baking in the overn.  It seems to turn out way better than actually baking it in the bread machine, although using the machine is a great shortcut as far as getting the dough ready for baking.

FOUR LAYER DESSERT (from Evelyn Jackson)

Prepare the day before serving:
1st Layer:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup melted margarine
1/2 cup chopped nuts
Combine and mix thoroughly.  Pat into 9 X 12 pan.  Bake in moderate oven 15 minutes.  Let cool.

2nd Layer:
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese (room temp)
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup cool whip
Mix ingredients and pour over first layer.  Chill.

3rd Layer:
2 packages (4 oz. each) instant pudding mix (chocolate)
3 cups milk
1 t vanilla
Beat ingredients and whenthick pour over top of 2nd layer.  Chill.

4th Layer:
Top with additional cool whip and sprinkle with nuts.  Cut in squaes.  Serves at least 10.  Spread cherry pie filling between 2nd and 3rd layer to make it extra special.

This is pretty tasty and not hard to make.  Going the extra mile with the cherry pie filling is worth it!

PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY CAKE

2 cups sifted flour
1-1/2 cups sugar
3 t baking powder
1 t salt
1/3 cup shortening
1/3 cup peanut butter
1 cup milk
2 eggs
7-minute icing
1 cup current jelly or other
1/2 cup chopped peanuts

Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder andsalt into mixing bowl.  Add shortening, peanut butter and milk.  Beat 2 minutes on medium speed.  Add eggs and beat 2 more minutes.  Pour into greased and floured 13 X 9" baking dish.  Bake at 350 for 45 to 50 minutes.  Cool.  Sprad stirred up current jellly evenly over cake.  Cover with 7-minute icing and sprinkle with chopped peanuts.  Cut in squares to serve.

Well, this cake tastes exactly how you think it would taste.  I looked up a recipe for 7-minute icing and used that.  It was the general concensus that the cake was all right but that the frosting combination on it was kind of weird.  I'm glad I tried it, but it could be improved.

MILLION DOLLAR FUDGE

1 tall can (13 oz.) evaporated milk
1 7 oz. jar marshmallow cream
4 cups sugar
1 T butter or margarine
2 cups (12 oz.) Hershey's dark baking chips
3 oz. Hershey's milk chocolate bars
1 t vanilla
1-2/3 cups chopped pecans

Combine evaporated milk, marshmallow creme, sugar, and butter or margarine in a heavy 4 qt. saucepan.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a full rolling boil.  Boil and stir 7 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Immediately add chocolate chips and Hershey bars broken in pieces and beat until completely melted.  Blend in vanilla and pecans.  Pour mixture into a lightly buttered 9 X 13 baking dish.  Cool and cut into squares.  Makes 4-1/2 pounds and tastes best if stored in a cool place but not in the refrigerator.

Very good fudge recipe, nice consistency, not hard to make as long as you have all ingredients and pan ready ahead of time.  I'll save this one for X-mas.

MARSHMELLOW FROSTING

2 egg whites
1-1/2 cups sugar
1/4 t. cream of tartar
1/3 cup water

Place over boiling water and beat with a rotary beater until mixture holds its shape.  Fold in 1-1/2 t vanilla and 1 cup mini marshmellows.  Beat until marshmellows are melted and frosting holds stiff peaks.

I love how she spells marshmallows, like everything's mellow!  But making this frosting is anything but mellow as you have to work over the hot stove until the consistency is right.  This is the frosting I always begged my mom to make when I was a girl because I just loved it!  I think I cooked it a little too long as it didn't have the softness and creaminess I remember, a little too stiff, but still tasty though.  Just don't make this in the dead of summer when it's too hot to cook.

LUSCIOUS PINEAPPLE DAZZLER

"A luscious combination is this dessert which features pineapple, angel food cake, and whipped cream all folded into a gelatin custard.  It's a delightful and refreshing party dazzler."

Molded Pineapple Angel Cake

One can (one pound, four ounces) crushed pineapple
Two envelopes unflavored gelatin
2 cups milk
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 t salt
4 large eggs, separated
one store-bought angel food cake
8 ounces heavy cream
1/2 cup thinly sliced blanched almonds

Drain pineapple, save syrup.
In a cup, sprinkle gelatin over 3/4 cup of the pineapple syrup and allow to soften.  In a one-quart saucepan scald milk with 1/3 cup of the sugar and the salt.

In a small mixing bowl beat egg yolks slightly.  Stir in a small amount of the hot milk.  Stir back into hot milk and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until custard is slightly thickened, about five minutes.  Do not boil.  Remove from heat.  Add softened gelatin and stir until gelatin is dissolved.  Chill until the consistency of unbeaten egg whites.

With a serrated knife, cut enough angel food cake into one-inch pieces to make two quarts.  In a large mixing bowl beat egg whites until stiff.  Grdually beat in remaining 1/3 cup sugar to make a stiff meringue.

In a small mixing bowl, without washing beater, beat cream until stiff.  Add to meringue with thickend gelatin mixture and gently stir together until blended.

In the bottom of an oiled 10-cup mold, place 1/2 cup of the meringue cream-gelatin mixture and sprinkle with 2 T each of the drained crushed pineapple and the almonds.

To remaining meringue-cream-gelatin mixture add cake pieces, remaining pineapple, and almonds.  Fold together.  Pour into mold.  Chill overnight.  With a small metal spatula loosen edges.  Dip in hot water and unmold on serving plate.  Garnish as desired.  Makes about 12 servings.

Note:  A ten and 1/2 ounce angel food cake will make the amount needed for this recipe.  Any brown crust may be reoved before using but if possible buy a cake that doesn't have a crust.

Well, I'm pretty exhausted after typing all that!  These are a lot of directions, and you will dirty a few bowls making this, but it's really not hard to make, and it did pop right out of the mold after loosening the edges with a knife.  Actually I love the name of this recipe, and my guests were excited to try it just based on that alone!  This dessert is really different from anything else you might have made before, a different consistency.  The flavor is really nice, and it makes quite a stunning presentation.  It's not my favorite ever ever, but I think I will keep this one!  Check out the pic.

CHOCOLATE MINT BOMBE

1/2 gallon softened pistachio or other flavored ice cream
1 package deluxe chocolate mint cake ix
Italian meringue
Green food coloring
cinnamon candies or other trim

Line 8" round layer cake pan and a one-quart mixing bolw with strips of wax paper.  Arrange strips so ends come over edge of pan and bowl.  Divide ice cream between pan and bowl.  Pack until firm and freeze solid.  (About 2 hours)  Prepare cake according to directions of package and bake in two 8" layers.  Cool thoroughly.  Prepare meringue and tint pale green.  Place 1 layer of cake on large plate, cover with 8" layer of ice cream.  Add second cake layer and bowl ice cream rounded side up.  Quickly swirl entire bombe with a heavy covering of meringue to seal in cold.  You can also cover with meringue rosettes pressed out through a large fluted pastry tube.  Return to freezer until ready to serve.  Before serving, dot entire chocolate bomb with gala red cinnamon dots or candied violets.

Meringue:
2 cups sugar
2/3 cup water
1/2 t cream of tartar
4 egg whites

In sauce pan combine sugar, water and cream of tartar.  Bring slowly to a boil.  Then boil rapidly to 236F, the soft ball stage.  Beat egg whites until stiff.  Pour syrup very slowly over egg whites beating constantly.  Add vanilla and continue beating until frosting holds its shape.

Well, I was quite excited to try this, and I had the perfect opportunity since I had a birthday party to throw, and I was going to be gone for a few days before, so I made this ahead and threw it in the freezer. I added a little peppermint extract to the chocolate cake batter since I couldn't find chocolate mint cake mix.  I used a pistachio, chocolate, strawberry ice cream.  First let me say that the idea of wax strips in pan and bowl in order to pull the ice cream out doesn't work.  It just makes the wax paper tear.  Instead just use a wood spoon or spatula to pull ice cream out.  The meringue is just delicious, but I messed up.  I should've let the meringue cool down before attempting to frost the cake and ice cream.  Everything just started to melt and I had to hurry up and put it in the freezer, and it ended up a disaster all over the freezer (more like a volcano!)  Also, there's no mention of how much vanilla to add in the meringue, so I used a tsp.  I thought the taste of this was great, and although it looked horrible since it melted (see pic below), it still looked nice when I sliced it (see other pic).  Would I make this again?  Probably, and I'll be more patient this time and let the meringue cool down!