INGREDIENTS:

8 ounce can pineapple chunks, drained
1 1/4 cups red seedless grapes
2 kiwi fruit, peeled and sliced
4 large scoops vanilla ice cream
1/4 cup orange flavored liqueur (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine all the fruits; cover and refrigerate.
2. When ready to serve, spoon fruit mixture into individual dessert dishes.
3. Top with a scoop of ice cream and drizzle a little of the liqueur over ice cream.

This makes GREAT dessert after dinner, and helps with the digestion. It is also great for a hot summer’s day, especially with the ice cream.

• 1 cup red-hot cinnamon candies
• 3 cups apple cider
• 4 large pears, peeled (see Note)

Directions

In a large saucepan, melt the cinnamon candies in the apple cider over medium heat. Add the pears and spoon the sauce over them, coating completely. Cover and cook for 25 to 30 minutes or until tender, turning occasionally and basting with the sauce. Serve warm with the sauce spooned over the pears or allow to cool and chill in the sauce until ready to serve.

NOTE: To make sure the pears stand up when being served, slice a piece off the bottom of each one before poaching.

• 1 egg white, at room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Directions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Grease a cookie sheet.

Beat egg whites and salt until soft peaks form. Gradually add brown sugar, beating constantly, until stiff peaks form. Fold in pecans.

Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of meringue onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake about 15 to 20 minutes or until delicately brown and firm. Cool three to five minutes before removing from cookie sheet.

• 1 cup butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3 eggs
• 4 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a cookie sheet.

Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add vanilla. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Sift together flour, baking soda and cream of tartar, then beat into creamed mixture.

Divide the dough into 3 or 4 portions and roll them out, one at a time, on a lightly floured board to a thickness of 1/4-inch. Cut with a cookie cutter and transfer cutouts to a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F. until lightly browned — no longer than 10 minutes.

• 1 envelope plain gelatin
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 3/4 cup hot water
• 1 cup sugar
• dash salt
• 1 large can of evaporated milk, well chilled
• juice and pulp of 2 1/2 lemons
• 2 graham cracker crusts

Directions

In a large bowl, dissolve gelatin in 1/4 cup cold water. Add hot water, sugar and salt. Cool to room temperature. Whip well.

Slowly add the chilled evaporated milk to the gelatin mixture and continue to whip. Add lemon juice and pulp and beat until well mixed. Pour into the graham cracker crusts. Chill until set.

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup honey
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 2 tablespoons sliced almonds

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat two 9″ x 5″ loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray.
In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients except the almonds and beat until well blended. Pour the batter equally into the loaf pans and sprinkle each with the almonds (see Note).

Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes then remove to wire racks to cool completely.

NOTE: It helps the almonds stay on top of the cakes if you sprinkle them on the cake tops halfway through the baking, rather than at the beginning.

• oil, as needed, for frying
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 5 cups all-purpose flour

FILLING:
dried apples or fresh apples, sliced and confectioners’ sugar, for dusting, if desired

Directions

Mix eggs, baking powder, sugar and salt. Add oil and milk and stir well. Mix in flour, one cup at a time. Knead well until smooth.

Divide the dough into ten pieces. Roll out each piece into a circle of dough. Place two to three heaping tablespoons of dried or fresh apple slices in center of each round. Fold over and crimp edges with a fork. Deep fry until golden brown in pre-heated p an of oil.

Dust with powdered sugar, if desired.

• 1 (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup or 1/2 stick Parkay margarine, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted

Directions

Beat cream cheese, margarine and vanilla until fluffy. Add the sifted powdered sugar 1/2-cup at a time until all is used. If frosting becomes too stiff, thin with a few drops of water.

• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons instant coffee granules
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat the inside of 2 clean coffee cans with nonstick cooking spray.
In a small saucepan, combine the water, coffee granules, raisins, and baking soda. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

In a medium bowl, cream the sugar and butter. Add the vanilla, egg, and cinnamon, beating until well mixed. Alternately stir in the flour and the cooled raisin mixture, mixing well. Fold in the nuts, then divide the batter evenly between the coffee cans.

Place both cans on a baking sheet and bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool for 15 minutes, then remove from the cans and allow to cool completely. Slice and serve.

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 tablespoon cornmeal (plain)
• 3 eggs, large
• 1 teaspoon cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla, or 6 tablespoons. lemon juice
• 5 tablespoons light cream
• 1 unbaked 9 inch pie shell

Directions

Cream butter and sugar. Add cornmeal. Beat eggs together well and add vinegar, vanilla or lemon juice, and cream. Fold egg mixture into butter/sugar mixture. Pour into pie shell. Bake at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes and then lower heat to 325 degrees F. Bake an additional 25 minutes or until set.