Starbucks Copycat Vanilla Creme Frappucino

3/4 cup milk
6 tablespoons heavy cream, frozen in an ice cube tray (3 cubes)
6 ice cubes
2 tablespoons agave nectar or maple syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon chia seeds (optional, looks like vanilla bean)

Blend all ingredients in a high-power blender.* Serve immediately.

*I use the Smoothie setting on my Blendtec blender.

Whole Wheat Pie Crust

If you have a food processor, you might find that making your own pie crust is a lot easier than you expected....
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into thin slices and then chilled in freezer for at least an hour
5-8 Tablespoons icewater

1. Put the flour and salt in the bowl of the food processor, fitted with the chopping blade, and process briefly to mix.
2. Put in the butter pieces and pulse 6 or 8 times until the butter pieces are pea sized.
3. Add icewater in a steady stream with machine running, just until the dough holds together--no more than 30 seconds. (Check dough by pinching it between your fingers. If it sticks together, it's ready. If it crumbles apart, add a bit more water and pulse again.)
4. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and cut in half. Put each dough half onto a piece of plastic wrap and press into a flat circle. Wrap with the plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour. (If you are only using one crust now, put the extra crust into a Ziplock bag and freeze until ready to use. To use, thaw in refrigerator and then follow rest of steps.)
5. Turn chilled dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 12-inch diameter circle, dusting with flour as needed to prevent sticking. Dough should be about 1/8 inch thick when finished rolling.
6. Carefully wrap dough around rolling pin and gently transfer into deep dish pie pan. Press into contours of pan. Trim around the edges so about 1/4 inch of dough overhangs the edge of the pan. Then fold dough under and crimp with a fork.

If recipe calls for a prebaked crust (such as pumpkin pie or other custard style pies)...

1. Freeze prepared crust 15 minutes in pie pan.
2. Line crust with foil and add pie weights, dried beans, or rice to hold foil down.*
3. Bake about 10 minutes at 350, until sides are set. Then remove foil and bake uncovered about 10 more minutes, until lightly browned.
4. Fill crust and bake as directed in pie recipe. For best results, cover crust edges with foil to prevent over browning.

*I would not recommend substituting parchment paper for the foil.... Sarah

Pumpkin Milkshake

Warning: This is incredibly tasty and quite possibly addictive. It's like drinking pumpkin pie a la mode.

1/3 cup pumpkin puree (canned or fresh)*
1/4 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/16 teaspoon ground cloves
1/16 teaspoon nutmeg
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
2 cups ice cream
2 graham cracker squares (cinnamon is nice)

1. Blend all ingredients except the graham crackers. 
2. Pour into two cups. Crumble the graham cracker squares and sprinkle on top of the milkshakes.

 *A shortcut method is to take a small piece of pumpkin pie (minus the crust) and blend with the milk and ice cream. It's super easy and just as delicious!

Angel Lush Cake with Pineapple

1 pkg. vanilla instant pudding
1 (20 oz.) can crushed pineapple, undrained
1 C. Cool Whip, thawed
1 prepared Angel food cake
10 small strawberries

Mix dry pudding mix with undrained pineapple in a medium bowl. Gently stir in whipped topping. Cut cake horizontally into 3 layers. Place bottom cake layer, cut side up on a serving plate. Spread 1 1/3 C. pudding mixture onto cake layer; cover with middle cake layer. Spread 1 C. of pudding mixture onto middle layer and top with remaining cake layer. Spread w/remaining pudding mixture. Refrigerate until ready to serve, at least 1 hour.

Servings: 10

Toasted Coconut Pie

3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 C. sugar
4 tsp. lemon juice
½ stick margarine (softened)
1 1/3 C. angel flake coconut
1 unbaked pie shell

Mix sugar, eggs, lemon juice and vanilla in large mixing bowl. Add margarine and coconut to the mixture.

Place unbaked pie shell into a pie pan. If already furnished w/foil pan, be certain to place it on a cookie sheet prior to baking.

Carefully pour mixture into pie shell. Bake at 350 for 30-45 min or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove pie from oven and allow to cool slightly prior to cutting.

Slow Cooker Yogurt

Can you believe it? You can make yogurt in the slow cooker! If, like my husband, you're wondering why you'd want to, I can give you two good reasons. 1) It's really cheap. 2) You know exactly what's in it, and what's not (sugar, artificial coloring, and preservatives).

1 quart milk*
1/4 to 1/2 cup dry instant nonfat milk (optional, for thickening)
1/4 cup natural plain yogurt, preferably fresh (from store or homemade)

*If you use low-fat milk, you'll need to add the dry milk unless you like it runny. I added 1/2 cup, and it was nice and solid.

1. Put the milk and dry milk into a slow cooker and stir well. If the milk doesn't come at least halfway up the crock, you should put a smaller, oven-safe bowl (such as a Pyrex glass dish) inside the crock; this will add some time to the cooking.
   
2. Cook on high for 1.5 to 2 hours, until the milk is starting to bubble, but not quite boiling. (If you have a candy thermometer, you can test it; the milk should be 180 degrees to kill all undesirable bacteria.)
3. Remove the crock from the slow cooker and leave it on the counter, with the lid on, for about an hour. The milk should be cooled to about 110 degrees. If you don't have a thermometer, test with your finger; it should be a little warmer than a baby's bath water. (If you add the starter with the milk hotter than 110, it can kill the bacteria in the starter.)
   
4. Turn the oven on its lowest setting.
   
5. If the milk has formed a skin on top, run it through a sieve if desired.
   
6. Ladle a small amount of warm milk into a cup and mix the yogurt into it until well combined. Then pour the yogurt mixture into the milk and whisk well.
7. Turn off the oven, but leave the oven light on.
   
8. Put the lid on the slow cooker crock and put it in the oven to culture. Close the door and do not disturb for 5 to 12 hours. The longer you leave it, the tangier the taste.
9. Remove from the oven and refrigerate for several hours. Reserve 1/4 cup of yogurt for your next batch.
   

Serve with one or more of the following:

• Fruit of your choice (bananas and blueberries are nice)
• Strawberry jam (about a tablespoon per cup)
• Cereal or granola
• Vanilla and maple syrup to taste

When you add fruit, the yogurt may get runnier, so it's best to add it just before serving.

If you prefer Greek style yogurt (thicker), line a colander with a coffee filter or cheesecloth and allow it to drain overnight. You can use the drained whey to add protein to smoothies, or you can feed it to your dog.

Five-Minute Chocolate Mug Cake

4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)*
a small splash of vanilla extract

1. Add dry ingredients to large coffee mug and mix well.
2. Add the egg and mix thoroughly.
3. Pour in the milk and oil and mix well.
4. Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract and mix again.
5. Put the mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts (high). The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed!
6. Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired. Serve with ice cream if you have it.

Serves two (unless you want a big piece).

*Substitute other flavors of chips if desired, such as butterscotch or peanut butter.

This is pretty good, but you need to eat it right away. It gets kind of brick-like if you let it sit. You really can make it in about five minutes, so now you can have cake any time of day or night!--Sarah

Hot Fudge Sauce

1 cup (6 oz.) semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips

14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

1/4 cup water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Put all but the vanilla in a glass pitcher and heat on high for two minutes in the microwave.
   
2. Beat with a wire whip to mix well.
3. Add vanilla.

Serve over ice cream, or just eat it with a spoon. It's that good!

My mom always makes this recipe that she got from Aunt Carol. She serves it with homemade ice cream. --Sarah

Monkey Bread

1 stick butter (2 T divided out)
2 T water
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 c. chopped pecans
2 cans regular biscuits (10/can) - I use Pillsbury Flaky Biscuits

Preheat oven to 375. Place 2 T melted butter in bundt pan and coat bottom and sides. Sprinkle 3 T of pecans into bottom of pan. In a sauce pan, combine the rest of the butter, water, and brown sugar. Cook until boiling and remove from heat. (You can continue to cook for about 2 minutes after it starts boiling if you like thicker sauce. This is what I usually do.) Break biscuits in half and roll each half into a ball shape. Place biscuit halves from one can into bundt pan. Pour 1/2 of syrup over biscuits. Sprinkle 1/2 of nuts on top of that. Repeat with remaining biscuits, syrup, and nuts. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Turn onto a serving dish immediately. Serve hot! :) YUM!!

This is a quick, easy and quite tasty breakfast treat that I make when my family comes into town. It serves about 6 people....or 4 depending on how hungry you are!! - Kristina

Peanut Butter Fudge

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
1-1/3 cup peanut butter
7 ounces marshmallow cream

1. Boil the sugar and milk for about 3-6 minutes; remove from heat.
   
2. Add peanut butter and marshmallow cream.
3. Pour in a 9-inch pan and allow to cool.
   
4. Cut into squares.
   

You can double the recipe and pour it onto a cookie sheet.

Breakfast Ice Cream

This is a great way to get your kids to eat bananas and plain yogurt, and a relatively guilt-free treat for you as well. It has the consistency of soft-serve ice cream, and it tastes great. It's also the perfect way to use up very brown bananas. Be sure to cut them in chunks before freezing.

1 frozen banana, cut in pieces
2 tablespoons plain fat-free yogurt
1 tablespoon honey or sugar
1/2 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon of wheat germ (optional)*

*Find wheat germ in jars in the cereal aisle, near the oatmeal.

1. In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, sugar, and wheat germ. Stir until well blended.
2. Put frozen banana in food processor and pour the yogurt mixture over the top.
   
3. Puree on high until the mixture is very smooth. (Hold on tight for the first few seconds; the processor will shake violently.)

Serve drizzled with chocolate syrup, if desired.

Note: Convert to a smoothie by adding 1/2 cup of milk and mixing in the blender instead of the food processor. Don't try making the ice cream in the blender without the extra milk, or you might break your blender.



You can find this recipe and many other kid-friendly recipes in The Sneaky Chef cookbook, by Missy Chase Lapine.

7-Up Cake

3 sticks butter, softened (see quick softening tip)
3 cups sugar
5 eggs
3 cups flour
2 Tbsp vanilla extract*
3/4 cup 7-Up

Glaze (optional)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1-2 Tbsp milk

1. Beat softened butter and sugar for about 20 minutes. (A stand mixer works best.) It will be very fluffy, and the sugar will be incorporated.
   
2. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. Mix in the flour and vanilla gradually, alternating between flour and vanilla.
   
4. Fold in the 7-Up.
5. Pour into a well greased bundt pan and bake at 325 degrees for about 1-1/4 hours. The top will be crackly and delicious.
6. Allow cake to cool slightly. Blend milk into powdered sugar gradually, to desired consistency. Blend thoroughly with a whisk and pour over cake.

*Substitute lemon extract for vanilla if desired.

All through college, I worked at a dry cleaners. There was this woman who made a cake for every birthday. We could choose from a whole book of recipes, but every person in my store always chose the same cake every year: 7-Up cake. It was so incredibly light and wonderful, with just the right amount of sweetness.

About a year ago, I suddenly remembered that cake and desperately wanted to have some. I searched the Internet and found quite a few variations. This one is pretty close to what I remember, nearly as good as the cake our birthday lady made. (Isn't it funny how our fondest memories never seem quite as good when we try to recreate them? It's still fun to try, though.)

--Sarah

Butterfinger Ice Cream Dessert

2 cups milk
1 quart vanilla ice cream, slightly melted
2 (3.5-ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups crushed graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup crushed saltine crackers
1 (8-ounce) container whipped topping
4 (2-ounce) Butterfinger bars, crushed

1. Combine milk, ice cream, and dry pudding mix in a large bowl and beat until well mixed. Place in refrigerator.
   
2. Melt butter in saucepan; pour over cracker crumbs in a large bowl. Stir well.
   
3. Pour crumb mixture into a 13-by-9-inch pan, patting into an even layer on bottom and reserving 1/3 of mixture for topping.
   
4. Pour ice cream mixture over crust. Freeze for one hour.
   
5. Spread whipped topping over filling. Mix crushed Butterfingers with reserved crumb mixture. Sprinkle over top and return to freezer to set.
   

Let stand at room temperature for about 20-30 minutes before serving.

My mom makes this frequently, and it's a favorite request for family birthday parties. It will make you want to lick the empty pan when no one is looking. (At least it has that effect on me!) -- Sarah

Amish Friendship Banana Nut Bread

1 cup Amish friendship starter
1/3 cup oil
1/3 cup natural unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 very ripe bananas, mashed
4 eggs
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup walnuts, chopped

1. Mix first six ingredients well.
   
2. Add rest of ingredients except nuts. Mix only until blended.
3. Fold in nuts.
4. Pour into greased and sugared loaf pans and bake at 350 degrees for 30-60 minutes depending on size of pans.

Makes 2 regular loaf pans, 4 mini loaf pans, or 6 small tin foil loaf pans.

Amish Friendship Bread

Starter, if needed:
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup milk

Daily Instructions:
1 - Do nothing (the day you receive the starter)
2 - Stir with wooden spoon
3 - Stir with wooden spoon
4 - Stir with wooden spoon
5 - Add 1 cup sugar, flour, and milk
6 - Stir with wooden spoon
7 - Stir with wooden spoon
8 - Stir with wooden spoon
9 - Stir with wooden spoon

***DO NOT REFRIGERATE. Keep the starter on the counter so that the yeast can grow. (Yeast inhibits other organisms from growing so that it does not spoil.) If it looks or smells moldy, though, discard. It should smell a little sour, or sort of like beer; the smell gets stronger as it ferments.

On tenth day:

1. Add 1 cup sugar, flour, and milk. Stir thoroughly.
2. Pour off 3 cups; put in plastic bowls or small zippered sandwich bags. Save 1 cup for yourself and give 1 cup each to two friends.
3. To the remaining batter, add:

• 1 cup oil (or 1/3 cup oil and 2/3 cup natural unsweetened applesauce)
• 1 cup milk
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla

4. Mix well and then add:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1-1/2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 large package of instant vanilla pudding

5. Mix well.
6. Spray two regular loaf pans, four mini loaf pans, or six small tin foil pans. Sprinkle pans generously with cinnamon and sugar.
7. Pour batter into pans, about 2/3 full, and sprinkle tops with more cinnamon and sugar.
8. Bake at 325 for one hour. (35-45 minutes if using the mini pans)

Variations:

• Substitute any flavored pudding for the vanilla (chocolate, strawberry, banana, butterscotch).
• Add a handful of chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, or peanut butter chips. Just sprinkle on top of batter in pans.
• Fold in a handful of chopped walnuts or pecans
  
• Add a little coconut or dried fruit
• See also banana bread version

Tip: Instead of storing the starter in a bowl and stirring with a spoon, you can keep it in a zippered plastic storage bag and just squeeze and knead the bag each day. I prefer the bowl because it's less messy. But I've found that the bag works better when you are making your first batch of starter. Making that first batch is tricky; you want to cultivate the good germs (yeast) and avoid the bad ones (mold). Once the yeast starts growing, it inhibits other organisms. Keeping the batter in the smallest possible container (the bag) helps prevent mold. In a bowl, mold can grow along the sides of the bowl where the batter has dried.

My mother used to bake this every week in many variations. Hers always tastes the best!

I love the anticipation of tending the batter for ten days before baking day. I love the sentiment of sharing the starter with friends, though I usually just bake all of it.

Every Christmas, I make scores of mini loaves and wrap them in decorated cellophane. Then I hand them out to coworkers, neighbors, and family members. By the second baking day or so, I don't care if I ever see another Amish friendship loaf again. But by the next Christmas season, my mouth is watering for these rich, sweet cakes.

Lemon Torte Cake

Cake:
2-1/4 cups all purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons dried lemon peel*
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1-1/3 cups sugar
2/3 cup mayonnaise
l cup 7 Up

1. Preheat oven to 350.
   
2. In a medium bowl, blend together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, lemon peel, and salt. Set aside.
3. In large mixing bowl, beat together the eggs, sugar, and mayonnaise until fluffy and lemon colored. Add the flour mixture alternately with the 7 Up, beating with a wire whip after each addition.
4. Spread the batter into two sprayed 8" or 9" round cake pans. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. The top will spring back when done.
   

Lemon Filling:
One 14 oz can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup lemon juice

1. In a medium bowl, beat together the milk and lemon juice with wire whip.
   
2. Set in the refrigerator to thicken as it chills.
   
3. Spread between cake layers and over the top layer.
   
4. Chill frosted cake for at least two hours.
   

This can be made a day ahead. In fact, it tastes even better the second day. The filling penetrates the cake a little and makes it nice and moist.

*Use the fine Microplane rasp grater to grate the lemon peel. Avoid getting the bitter white pith.

This is my Aunt Carol's recipe. Because she has a gluten allergy, she uses 2-1/4 cups of rice flour mix (2 cups of rice flour, 2/3 cups of potato starch flour, 1/3 cup of tapioca flour) in place of the wheat flour and adds 1 teaspoon xanthan gum. It is incredibly light and tender. --Sarah

Apple Walnut Cake

(1) MIX TOGETHER:
4 Cups apples, peeled and sliced (I use 4 large green apples)
1 ½ cups sugar
1 cup chopped walnuts

(2) MIX TOGETHER:
2 eggs, beaten
2 tsp vanilla

(3) ADD:
½ cup of cooking oil (Wesson)

(4) MIX TOGETHER:
2 cups of flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp mace – (I don’t use)
1 tsp salt

1. Mix the apples, sugar, and walnuts.
2. Add egg mixture, then the oil, then the flour mixture.
   
3. Spoon mixture into slightly oiled and floured tube cake pan.
   
4. Bake at 350 degrees about 35 minutes, or until wooden toothpick comes out clean.

This recipe takes about half an hour to prepare and the additional time for baking.

Fran Crawford

Cake Bites

1 box cake mix (any flavor – chocolate, vanilla, strawberry)
1 can frosting – same flavor as cake mix
1 package of either chocolate candy coating or almond bark bars

1. Prepare cake mix according to package directions.
   
2. Once out of the oven, scoop cake out of pan and mix together with the can of frosting in a large bowl.
   
3. Make small balls out of the mixture and place onto wax paper in a plastic container or on a cookie sheet. Place balls into freezer overnight if possible, or at least 4 hours.
   
4. Melt candy coating in the microwave and dip balls into melted chocolate or almond bark. While coating is still wet, you can dip in toffee bits or nuts, or drizzle with opposite kind of melted chocolate.

Tip: This is a great way to use leftover cake, either from a bakery or homemade.

Kristen made these for an unofficial home group meeting of just the ladies, and they were incredibly decadent. We had these luscious cake balls and strawberries, and we sat out on the back porch and talked until it was scandalously late (for old married ladies whose husbands were home with the kids, anyway).

Dump Cake

1 box yellow cake mix

2 cans of pie filling of your choice

1 stick of butter

cinnamon and sugar

1. Pour pie filling on bottom of 13 X 9 glass dish.
2. Pour cake mix evenly over top, but do not mix.
3. Thinly slice butter and cover the top of the dry cake mix with it.
4. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar to coat.
   
5. Bake uncovered at 350 for 35-45 minutes, until top is bubbly and light brown.

Tips: You can do a half batch, if desired, in a square pan. For the full recipe, you can use the same pie filling on the whole cake, or a different kind for each half.

This is sooo good! Michelle totally needs to bring this to another home group meeting!

Banana Pudding

1/2 box vanilla wafers
3 - 4 bananas
8 oz package of cream cheese
14 oz can of Eagle Brand milk
3 cups milk
1 large vanilla instant pudding
1 1/2 cups Cool Whip

1. Cream the cheese until smooth.
   
2. Stir in Eagle Brand milk.
   
3. Add regular milk and pudding mix and beat until thick.
   
4. Fold in Cool Whip.
   
5. Make layers of cookies, bananas, and pudding mixture. Top with Cool Whip or vanilla wafers.

Serves 10 to 12.