Allison's Recipe Book

INGREDIENTS for Cookie Shots

For the cookies:

1 cup shortening
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light-brown sugar
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup mini chocolate chips

For the cookie shots:

1 cup dark-chocolate candy melts
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Making Cookie Shots

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease the molds of a popover pan.
In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and brown and granulated sugars. Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract, and mix until completely incorporated. Gradually add the flour and salt, and mix until completely incorporated. Add the mini chocolate chips, and mix together until evenly distributed. The dough should be a little crumbly at this point.
Form the cookie shots inside the molds, making the walls of the cookie shot about 1/4 inch thick. Chill for 20 to 30 minutes before baking.
Bake for about 20 minutes or until the cookies just start to brown. Remove from the oven, and let cool completely.
Melt chocolate candy melts, and then pour the melted chocolate into the well of each cookie. Let it sit for a minute, and then pour the excess chocolate back into the pan. Chill cookie shots until the chocolate has set.
Mix together milk and vanilla extract, and serve inside each cookie shot.

Ingredients for Easy Apple Dumplings

2 (8 ounce) cans crescent rolls
2 sticks butter
1½ cups brown sugar
1 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 ½ cup 7 Up (or other lemon soda)
2 Apples

Instructions for making Easy Apple Dumplings

Butter a 13 x 9 inch baking dish.
Preheat the oven at 350 F.
Peel and core apples, than cut each apple into 8 slices
Roll each apple slice in a crescent roll and place in a buttered dish.
Melt butter, stir in sugar, vanilla and cinnamon, and when it’s thickened, remove from heat and pour over the dumplings.
Pour the soda in the middle and along the edges of a pan(not over the rolls)
Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until they become golden brown.
Serve warm.

NOTE* 2 Apples to makes 16 dumplings

Ingredients for Easiest Homemade Cake

Box Cake

Eggs

Butter

Milk

Steps for making Easiest Homemade Cake

Step 1: Look at the directions on the cake mix,
Step 2: Add one more egg (or add 2 if you want it to be very rich),
Step 3: Use melted butter instead of oil and double the amount,
Step 4: Instead of water, use milk.
Step 5: Mix well and bake for the time recommended on the box.

Ingredients
For the Cookie Layer
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. shortening
2 Tbsp. sour cream
1/2 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/4 c. flour
1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs
2 c. chopped Milky Way candy bars (I used the Caramel Apple)

For the Cheesecake Layer
1 pkg. cream cheese (8 oz.)
1/2 c. sugar
1 egg
1/4 c. caramel ice cream topping
2 Tbsp. flour

For the Topping
4 oz. caramel candies (about 14 squares)
4 Tbsp. heavy cream
1/4 c. chocolate chips
1/2 tsp. shortening

Instructions
For the Cookie Layer
Cream the butter, shortening, sour cream, and sugars until creamy. Add the eggs and vanilla. Sift together the flour, crumbs, baking soda, and salt and slowly add to the butter mixture. Stir in the candies by hand. Press half the mixture into a greased 8 inch pan. Pour the cheesecake mixture on top. Drop the rest of the dough by spoonfuls gently on top of the cheesecake. Bake at 350* for 45 minutes. Let cool completely. Drizzle with caramel and chocolate. Refrigerate.

For the Cheesecake Layer
Beat the cream cheese and sugar together until creamy. Add the egg and caramel and beat again. Stir in the flour. Pour on cookie dough in pan.

For the Topping
Place the caramels and heavy cream in a small saucepan. Heat and stir until melted and creamy. In a small microwave safe bowl, place the chocolate chips and shortening. Heat for 20 seconds. Stir and repeat until melted and smooth. Place in a bag and cut one corner off.

Notes
*The Caramel Apple Milky Ways are a seasonal candy, so feel free to use regular Milky Ways instead. *You can also bake this in a 9×13 pan by decreasing the bake time to 30 minutes.

Ingredients:

Makes 2 cups

1/8 cup granulated sugar
1/2 vanilla bean pod
2 tablespoons salted butter
1/8 cup cocoa powder
2 cups whole milk
1/2 vanilla bean pod
3 oz. chopped white chocolate
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup heaving whipping cream
3 oz. kirsch (cherry liqueur)
2 maraschino cherries, for serving

Directions:

In a small bowl, scrape the seeds of half the vanilla bean pod and stir in the sugar to combine. Set aside.

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder,  vanilla sugar and whisk until a paste forms. Slowly add milk, whisking constantly. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in white chocolate and cook, stirring, until chocolate is completely melted. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

Meanwhile, place heavy whipping cream in a small jar. Close lid on the jar tightly and vigorously shake jar until whipped cream is formed, about 2-3 minutes. Serve hot chocolate in warm mugs and spike each mug with 1 1/2 oz. kirsch. Top with whipped cream and serve with maraschino cherries.

 

Ingredients:

Ghoulishly Glowing Cupcakes
1 black light
24 prepared and cooled cupcakes

White Glow In The Dark Frosting
7 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 cup vegetable shortening
1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
5 tablespoons tonic water {diet tonic water works too}
mini chocolate chips morsels

Extras Needed for Green Glowing Frosting
Neon Food Color
0.3 ounce package of either Lime or Orange Gelatin
1 cup boiling water
1 cup chilled tonic water

Directions:

Prepare desired cupcakes and allow to cool. Begin frosting by adding confectioners’ sugar, shortening, vanilla, and 3 tablespoons tonic water into a large bowl. Beat on low speed until no loss sugar is visible. Add remaining two tablespoons as needed to bring frosting to piping consistency. Mix at high speed for about a minute to allow frosting to become light and fluffy. Place half of white frosting into a separate bowl and set aside. Add neon food coloring to frosting until it reaches desired color {orange for orange gelatin, green for lime gelatin}. Pipe colored frosting onto cooled cupcakes and place in the freezer for at least an hour. Meanwhile pipe white frosting on half of the cupcakes using a large round frosting tip. Add two mini chocolate chip morsels for the ghost’s eyes to finish ghost cupcakes. After letting colored cupcakes freeze, prepare the gelatin by adding gelatin mix to 1 cup boiling water. Stir for about 2 minutes then add 1 cup chilled tonic water. Transfer to a container that will let you easily dip frosting into and place into an ice bath to cool. Keep gelatin in ice bath stirring occasionally until gelatin is cool but not yet set {about 5 to 10 minutes}. When gelatin is cool to the touch take cupcakes out of the freezer a couple at a time. Dip into gelatin upside down, submerging the frosting but not the cake {it is ok for the gelatin to drip onto cupcake, just don’t submerge it completely}. Rotate cupcakes dipping and then returning to the freezer for about a minutes to set gelatin, then re-dip. Dip 4 to 6 times for best results. Refrigerate until a couple minutes before serving to keep gelatin set. Then place cupcakes under a black light and watch then glow. {Make enough frosting for about 24 cupcakes}

Ingredients:

1 fudge brownie mix (13-inch x 9-inch pan size)2 packages (13 ounces each) miniature peanut butter cups
4 cups cold 2% milk 
2 packages (5.1 ounces each) instant vanilla pudding mix
1 cup creamy peanut butter
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cartons (8 ounces each) frozen whipped topping, thawed

Prepare brownie batter according to package directions.  Bake in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with moist crumbs (do not overbake).  Cool on a wire rack; cut into 3/4-in. pieces.  Cut peanut butter cups in half; set aside 1/3 cup for garnish.  In a large bowl, whisk milk and pudding mixes for 2 minutes (mixture will be thick).  Add peanut butter and vanilla; mix well.  Fold in 1-1/2 cartons whipped topping.Place a third of the brownies in a 5-qt. glass bowl; top with a third of the remaining peanut butter cups. Spoon a third of the pudding mixture over the top.  Repeat layers twice. Cover with remaining whipped topping; garnish with reserved peanut butter cups. Refrigerate until chilled. 

 

Secret Fruit Salad

Secret Fruit Salad: The secret is 1 package of dry vanilla pudding mix. It combines with all the juices from the fruit makes a scrumptious dressing that coats every bite.