A Touch of Hands Cookbook: Desserts

ANNIE'S FAVORITE CARAMEL CUSTARD

3/4 C. sugar
3 eggs
pinch salt
2 c. milk, scalded
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat 1/2 C. sugar slowly in small, heavy skillet, stirring constantly with wooden spoon until sugar melts, is free from lumps and turns a light caramel color. Pour into 1 quart baking dish. Cool slightly. Beat eggs slightly with remaining sugar and salt. Add milk slowly, while stirring. Add vanilla. Strain and pour carefully into baking dish so as not to disturb caramel. Place baking dish in pan of hot water (water should be almost level wtih top of baking dish). Bake until knife inserted in center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Remove immediately from water and cool quickly. Chill if desired.

APPLE COMPOTE

5 apples, cored and sliced
3 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. cinnamon
1/2 C. chopped pecans
1/2 C. raisins
1 C. chopped dried apricots
1/2 C. - 3/4 C. flour
1/2 C. butter, melted
1/4 C. chopped nuts
1 tsp. cinnamon

Combine apples, sugar, cinnamon, pecans and raisins and place in a buttered casserole dish. Mix the remaining ingredients; it will be odd-looking. Use this dough to cover the casserole and seal it. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. If the top browns too soon, cover with foil. Take out when the apples are soft. Serve as is or with ice cream.

BANANA CAKE

2 C. flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 - 3 bananas
1/2 C. oil
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 C. sugar
2 eggs
1/4 C. milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour pan. Sift together flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder. Mash bananas. Beat oil, vanilla, eggs and sugar together at high speed 1 1/2 minutes. Add milk, bananas and flour mixture. Mix thoroughly. Bake 30 - 35 minutes.

BREAD PUDDING IN A PUMPKIN SHELL

4 - 5 lb. squat pumpkin, with stem intact
1 tbsp. melted butter
1/3 C. plus 2 tbsp. sugar
2 C. scalded milk
1/4 C. butter
2 C. stale bread cubes
3 eggs
2/3 C. raisins
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. allspice
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. group cloves
1/4 C. dark rum
Rum Whipped Cream (recipe below)

Cut a large opening in the pumpkin (to serve from) and clean out the pumpkin. Brush the insides of the pumpkin with melted butter and coat with the 2 tbsp. of sugar. Put the lid on the pumpkin, place on a baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. While the pumpkin is baking, add the butter and remaining sugar to the scalded milk. When melted, pour the mixture over the bread cubes. Let stand for 5 minutes. Beat eggs; mix in raisins, spices and rum. Combine with bread mixture and fill the pumpkin. Bake uncovered for 1 1/2 - 1 3/4 hours. Let stand for five minutes before serving. Serve with Rum Whipped Cream.

Rum Whipped Cream

Whip cream until it forms soft peaks. Gently fold in sugar, vanilla and rum. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

CHERRY CHEESECAKE PIE

1 graham cracker crust
1/2 C. powdered sugar
1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
1 tsp. vanilla
1 small carton whipped cream
1 can cherry or blueberry pie filling

Mix powdered sugar, cream cheese, vanilla and whipped cream. Pour into crust. Top with fruit.

DATE LOG

1 box regular graham crackers, finely crushed
2 handsful small marshmallows
1 1/4 C. chopped pecans
1 box pitted dates, cut in small pieces
1/4 C. sugar
1/2 pint real whipping cream

Crush graham crackers and add ingredients in order given. Stir. Shape into 2 logs on wax paper; wrap and refrigerate overnight. Cut into thin slices and serve.

DERBY PIE

2 eggs, room temperature
1 C. sugar
1/2 C. flour
1/2 C. (4 oz.) unsalted butter, melted, cooled
1 C. chocolate chips
1 C. chopped pecans, lightly toasted
1 tbsp. bourbon
1 tsp. vanilla

Beat eggs on high speed until dark yellow colored. Gradually beat in sugar. Reduce speed to low; add flour and butter and mix until thoroughly combined. Stir in chips, nuts, bourbon and vanilla. Pour mixture into unbaked 9" pie shell. Bake at 325 degrees until golden brown; approximately 40 minutes.

DIVINITY

2 1/2 C. sugar
1/2 C. white Karo syrup
1/2 C. water (slightly less)
3 egg whites (stiffly beaten)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 C. chopped pecans

Combine sugar, Karo syrup and water. Boil until mixture forms a hard ball when dropped in cold water. Add to stiffly beaten egg whites and beat with an electric mixer until well mixed, then beat by hand until it gets hard. Add nuts and vanilla before it begins to get solid.

EMMIE'S CHOCOLATE CAKE

4 heaping tbsp. of cocoa
1 C. boiling water
3 C. flour
2 tsp. baking soda, divided
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs, well beaten
2 C. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 C. thick sour cream

Mix cocoa with water. Sift together flour, 1 tsp. baking soda and salt. Add cocoa mixture to the beaten eggs, then add sugar and vanilla. Mix 1 tsp. baking soda and sour cream and add to egg mixture. Add flour mixture and mix well. Bake in large greased pan at 325 degrees for 50 minutes.

FEED-A-LOT CAKE

1 box yellow cake mix
2 16 oz. cans crushed pineapple, drained
2 8 oz. pkgs. cream cheese, softened
1 large pkg. Cool Whip
2 small boxes instant coconut cream pudding
4 1/2 C. milk
1 small can coconut

Prepare cake mix according to directions. Bake in cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Spread pineapple on cooled cake. Mix together pudding, cream cheese and milk. Pour over pineapple. Spread Cool Whip over pudding mix. Sprinkle with coconut. Will keep in refrigerator 24 hours.

FRESH APPLE CAKE

2 eggs
1 1/3 C. oil
3 apples, peeled and diced
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. vanilla
2 C. sugar
2 1/2 C. flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 C. nuts (optional)

Beat eggs, oil, vanilla & sugar. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Add diced apples, nuts and mix. Bake in well-greased 9"x13" pan for 50 minutes at 350 degrees.

Butterscotch Sauce for Apple Cake

Boil on low for about 5 minutes. Pour over apple cake.

JAMI'S MICROWAVE FUDGE

3 6 oz. pkgs. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
dash salt
1/2 - 1 C. chopped nuts
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

In 1 quart glass measuring cup, combine chips with milk. Microwave on high 3 minutes. Stir until chips melt and mixture is smooth. Stir in rest of ingredients. Spread into waxpaper-lined 8" or 9" square pan. Chill 2 hours or until firm. Turn out onto cutting board. Peel off paper and cut into squares. Store at room temperature.

OREO COOKIE DESSERT

1 small package of Oreo or Hydrox cookies
1/4 C. melted butter
1/2 gallon slightly softened ice cream
Fudge Sauce (see recipe below)

Crush cookies and mix with melted butter. Spread cookie mixture in 13"x9" pan. Spread ice cream on top. Pour fudge sauce over ice cream and run knife over it to marbleize.

Fudge Sauce

Mix ingredients and heat to boiling. Let boil 3 minutes.

PARTY DESSERT

1 pkg. brownie mix
2 small boxes instant chocolate pudding
1 3/4 C. milk
4 C. vanilla ice cream
8 oz. Cool Whip
3 Nestle Crunch candy bars

Mix and bake brownies as directed in 9"x13" pan. Cool. Mix pudding with milk. Add softened ice cream and mix well. Layer in large glass bowl: 1/2 crumbled brownies, 1/2 chocolate pudding, 1/2 Cool Whip, 1 1/2 crushed candy bars. Repeat with remaining amounts. Let sit at least 4 hours or overnight.

PINEAPPLE POUND CAKE

1 C. soft butter
2 3/4 C. sugar
3 C. flour
1/4 C. milk
1 15 oz. can crushed pineapple, divided
1/2 C. shortening
6 eggs
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla

In large bowl, using electric mixer, cream butter, shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. Combine flour and baking powder. Combine milk and vanilla in small cup. Add alternately to butter mixture. Measure 3/4 C. of crushed pineapple with some of the juices and stir into batter with wooden spoon. Turn into well-greased 10" tube pan and place in cold oven. Set temperature to 325 degrees and bake 1 1/4 hours. Cool on rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

POPPYSEED CAKE

1 pkg. yellow cake mix
1 pkg. instant lemon pudding
1/2 C. oil
4 eggs
1/4 C. whole poppyseed
1 C. hot water

Combine all ingredients in large bowl. Beat for 4 minutes. Pour into buttered and floured bread tins (2) or a Bundt pan. Bake 45-50 minutes at 325 degrees. Note: the cake and pudding mix flavors may be changed and the poppyseeds omitted. Try chocolate cake and pistachio pudding, or vanilla cake and vanilla pudding.

SYLVIA'S NO COOK PEACH PIE

1 graham cracker crust
fresh peaches, sliced
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 C. lemon juice
whipping cream

Slice fresh peaches into crust. Mix condensed milk and lemon juice and pour mixture over peaches. Top with whipping cream.