Layered Banana Pudding (SC version)

My in-laws, Jim and Belle Benson, served a mission in South Carolina. They brought back some really great recipes. This is so delicious! We just visited Belle a couple of weeks ago, and she made this for us one night. I asked her for the recipe, and she sent it to me in the mail. I never get mail anymore, and it felt so special! Love her so much. She wrote a note at the bottom of the recipe: "Hi. Yesterday it was 85 degrees, today it is raining and blowing at 60 degrees. Still hoping for a great summer. It was great to have you here for a few days. Looking forward to July. Love, Mom."



Line bottom of a 9x13 with vanilla wafers.

8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
2 Tbsp. milk
1 c. powdered sugar
8 oz. cool whip
4 bananas, sliced
2 packages instant vanilla pudding (3 oz. size)

Mix cream cheese, milk, powdered sugar, add 1/2 of cool whip.
Mix pudding (per package instructions) and fold into cream cheese mixture.
Pour half over the wafers. Top with sliced bananas. Pour rest of mixture over the bananas.
Top with cool whip and chill.

(For an 8x8 pan, half the recipe)

Pumpkin Cake

This is another Fall recipe. My sister Karen's mother-in-law, Bonnie Holyoak, makes this cake, and it gets rave reviews.

1 pkg. Yellow Cake Mix (minus 1 c. set aside for later)

1 egg

1/3 c. Soft Butter

Blend together with a fork and press into the bottom of a 9x13 pan.

Beat  together the following ingredients and pour over cake mixture in the pan:

 1 lg. can of pumpkin

1 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Ginger

2 tsp. Cinnamon

½ tsp. Cloves

2 ½ c. canned milk

1 c. Sugar

Mix together the following and crumble on top of the cake:

 2 Tbsp. sugar

¼ c. soft butter

1 c. cake mix (that was reserved earlier)

Bake at 350°F for 60-70 minutes. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

Cream Cheese Frosting

This came to me with a carrot cake recipe, but is so good that I use it on many other things.

1 stick butter, softened
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 box confectioner's sugar
2 tsp. vanilla

Mix well.

Hearty Carrot Cake

This came from the kitchen of Joan DeTullio, who got it from her sister, Wendy. I love the texture of it, and how moist it is after it sits airtight overnight.

Blend:
2 c. sugar
4 eggs
3/4 c. vegetable oil

Add and mix well:
2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon

Add and mix well:
2 c. finely shredded carrots
1/2 c. crushed pineapple with juice
1/2 c. raisins
1/2 c. chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)

Pour batter into a greased and floured tube/bundt pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes (until it passes the clean toothpick test) at 350 degrees. Cool completely before frosting with cream cheese frosting.

Egg Nog Cake

My Mom found this recipe years ago, and at least one has shown up at every holiday dinner since. This tastes better the second day, if stored airtight.

1 yellow cake mix
1 1/2 c. egg nog
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
2 eggs
1/2 c. soft butter
1 tsp. rum extract (or almond extract, if desired)
slivered almonds

Grease a bundt pan with butter and thinly sprinkle with slivered almonds. Stir together other ingredients, and pour into bundt pan. Bake for 35 minutes at 350 degrees. When cool, sprinkle with powdered sugar to serve.

Sour Cream Raisin Pie

Bart's favorite pie, and one they made at holidays when he grew up. Belle's mother, Thora Welch, used to make this pie. Belle said that even people who don't like raisins usually like this pie, and that she and Jim would serve it often to company.

Combine and set aside:
1 c. whipping cream
2 Tbsp. vinegar

Beat together:
2 eggs
1 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/8 tsp. salt
1 c. raisins, cut fine

Combine cream mixture with egg mixture. Mix well, and pour into a pie crust. Bake at 450 degrees until browned, then for another 20 minutes at 325 degrees.

Lazy Pie - Peach Cobbler

This is a recipe given to my mother by our friend Cindy Coppel. It is one of Bart's all-time favorite desserts. And it is so easy to make.

1 1/2 c. Bisquick
1 c. sugar
1 c. milk
1 1/2 sticks butter
1 #3 can of fruit (such as peaches)
1/2 c. brown sugar

Melt the butter in a 9x13 baking dish.

Mix Bisquick, sugar, and milk. Pour this over the melted butter. Do not stir!

Mix fruit (with juice) and brown sugar. Spoon this onto the Bisquick mixture. Do not stir!

Bake for 40 minutes at 350 degrees, until lightly browned. Serve hot with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Cracker Jack-style Caramel Corn

I grew up eating soft caramel corn, and have converted Bart to the same. However, this yummy recipe from his mother Belle's Aunt Bessie is what he was used to eating before he met me.

2 c. brown sugar
2 sticks butter
1/2 c. light corn syrup
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar

Boil brown sugar, butter, and corn syrup for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add baking soda and cream of tartar. Pour caramel sauce over 10 quarts of popped popcorn and stir to coat. Bake for 1 hour at 200 degrees.

Soft Caramel Corn

Family friend, Kristin Yates, introduced us to this recipe in the 90's, and there was no looking back. It's the only caramel corn we've made since.

1 lb. brown sugar (2 1/3 c.)
1 c. dark corn syrup
1 stick butter
1 can sweetened condensed milk

Boil ingredients for 5 minutes, to the soft ball stage.

Pour the mixture over 6 quarts of plain popped popcorn, stirring to coat. If the consistency is ooey-gooey, you did it right. The original recipe I copied gave further instructions: eat, spit out unpopped kernels/grannies/old maids, get fat.

Blue Ribbon Banana Bread

This recipe comes from a collection series called Favorite Recipes of America, which my mother used regularly. I am always disappointed by the taste of banana bread, unless it is this recipe. And it is best the second day.

1 c. sugar
1/2 c. soft butter
2 eggs, beaten
2 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
3 tsp. sour cream or buttermilk
3 mashed ripe bananas
1 c. nuts, chopped (optional)

Cream the sugar and butter. Add the eggs. Add dry ingredients. Add the bananas. Makes 2-3 loaves. Bake for 30-40 minutes (until it passes the toothpick test) at 350 degrees.

Applesauce Cake

Bart's mother, Belle, says this is her favorite cake. It is delicious, like a spice cake.

2 1/2 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
3/4 c. shortening
1 1/4 c. sugar
2 eggs
1/2 c. molasses
17 oz. applesauce
3/4 c. chopped nuts
1/2 c. raisins

Mix dry ingredients well. Add remaining ingredients and mix. Pout into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool to frost.

Frosting:
Boil:
1/3 c. butter
1/3 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. canned milk
Remove from heat, and add:
3/4 powdered sugar