LEMON CRUMB DESSERT

I was looking for a light dessert to serve to my Mexican Train friends when they came over for a fun afternoon. I decided to search through my Coldwater’s Cookin’! cookbook that was given to me by the mother of one of the little girls I took care of after my younger son was born. 

I was teaching school but after Patrick was born, I decided not to go back after my maternity leave ended. To help out financially, I opened a small at-home-day-care center in our house.  I primarily watched 4 darling little girls who started with me within the first couple of months when they each turned one year old. I “raised” them for 2 years. That was 30 years ago. I wonder where they are today.

This recipe for Lemon Crumb Dessert was submitted by Megan’s grandmother, Norene Harness. She said it was a cool, light and fluffy dessert. I decided to really make it “lite” and used sugar-free lemon Jell-O and stevia-in-the-raw for the sugar. I also used fat free evaporated milk. I’m not sure any of those choices were available 30 + years ago.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE A PRINTABLE VERSION OF THIS RECIPE, CLICK HERE.

LEMON CRUMB DESSERT

1          small pkg. sugar-free lemon Jell-O

3/4     cup stevia, Splenda, or sugar

1/8      teaspoon salt

1          cup boiling water

3/4     teaspoon lemon peel

1/3      cup lemon juice

1          large can (12 - oz) fat-free evaporated milk (chilled)

Crust:

1/3  cup melted margarine

2     cups vanilla wafer crumbs or graham cracker crumbs

Mix Jell-O, stevia, and salt with a whisk.

Add the boiling water together with the Jell-O mixture in a bowl with a whisk.

Combine lemon peel and juice. 

Add to the mixture stirring well.

Let cool til almost as thick as Jell-O. (I put the bowl in the refrigerator for an hour to quicken the cooling process, checking occasionally to make sure it wasn’t getting too thick.)

Meanwhile crush the vanilla wafers to make the crumbs.

In a 9 x 13 - inch dish or similar size dish, combine the crumbs and melted margarine.

Pat the crust in the bottom of the dish.

Once the Jell-O mixture has thickened, beat the chilled evaporated milk on high til light and fluffy and peaks form.

Add to the cooled, thickened Jell-O mixture making sure you completely combine the mixture. (I was using a glass bowl and could see the Jello mixture in the bottom.  I would recommend that you add the whipped milk a little at a time to make sure it is completely stirred.)

Pour the lemon mixture over the crumbs.

Can serve like this

OR you can crush a few more cookies and sprinkle the top with crumbs and refrigerate.

I made mine yesterday so I would be sure it set up.  It came out perfectly....even the first serving.

Serves 12 – 15.












This dessert is so light....I called it "Lemon Air" for my Mexican Train Friends.

PLANTATION CAKE

This recipe for Plantation Cake was the last recipe my mother shared with me. I don't remember where she told me she found the recipe. I do remember that she said she had made it for the "church ladies" and they all really enjoyed it. I remember making it but wasn't too impressed.

When we had to host the Dinner Club the other night, I decided to give it another try after one of the couples cancelled (they were going to bring a dessert), so we could have two dessert choices for everyone.  

I know you probably think I am crazy to make a cake that I had made before and wasn't too crazy about. I found the recipe card that my mother had sent me earlier last week and couldn't get it out of my mind. The recipe and my mother.  

My mother died suddenly 14 years ago and now one of her sisters, my "Auntie", will soon be joining her, my daddy, and James Gary, Auntie's son in Heaven. I have been really sad about the whole family....Auntie, her husband who is lost without her, her daughter - my cousin who has been the caregiver, and Auntie's sister, my other aunt, who will be the last living sister. I know they are all going to really miss Auntie, too. A lot of people are going to be missing this wonderful lady. So I have been thinking about my mother a lot lately.  

I decided maybe I did something wrong when I made the cake before. AND I must have, because it is delicious. So moist! Love the coconut and pecans I get in every bite. I did use unsweetened coconut and took it out before the hour, but otherwise, I followed Mother's recipe.  I decided a small container of sour cream was 8 oz. and I did use a cup of a fat-free sour cream.

PLANTATION CAKE

1   box butter cake mix
4   eggs
1   cup coconut (I used unsweetened coconut)
1   cup chopped pecans
1   cup oil (I used canola oil)
1   small carton of sour cream (I used 1 cup of fat free sour cream)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a Bundt pan with cooking spray.

Mix all of the ingredients on low to moistened.

Then beat for 2 minutes on medium speed.

Pour into pan and spread out evenly.

Bake for 1 hour. I checked mine with a toothpick at 50 minutes and cooked it 4 more minutes. I didn't want to overcook it.




Cool 10 - 15 minutes on wire rack.

Invert on wire rack and continue cooling. 

When cooled, place on cake plate. Before serving sift a little powdered sugar over the cake.

APPLESAUCE COOKIES (SUGAR FREE)

This is a recipe I got from my dil Sara a couple of years ago. She made it as a healthy cookie snack for the kiddoes.  The first time I made it I added a handful of chopped nuts.

A friend from church recently lost her mother.  Following the memorial service at church was a cookie reception for those in attendance.  Our Sunday school class prepared the cookies. 

I offered to make cookies that would be sugar free for those who needed to limit their sugar intake.  I thought about this recipe since I could use no-sugar-added applesauce and stevia.  (The most recent applesauce I bought is sweetened with Splenda.)  I also didn't include any nuts in case people had nut-allergies.  

I have written the recipe first as Sara's original recipe and included my changes in the parenthesis.  The recipe makes 3 dozen cookies.

APPLESAUCE COOKIES (SUGAR FREE)

1     cup applesauce (no-sugar-added or sweetened with Splenda)
1     cup sugar (1/2  cup sugar & stevia blend or 1 cup Splenda or stevia in the raw)
1/2  cup shortening
1      egg
2     cups whole wheat flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour)
1     teaspoon salt
1     teaspoon baking powder
1     teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Beat sugar, shortening and egg until fluffy.

Stir in applesauce.

Sift dry ingredients.











Mix well dry ingredients with batter.

Form cookies with a small cookie scoop or teaspoon and flatten lightly on non-stick cookie sheet.   







Bake for 12 - 15 minutes until edges are slightly brown.

Remove from cookie sheet and cool on wire rack.

EASY DAY COBBLER

This is the last dessert I have to share from Carol(remember the Tasty Bunch gathering?).She made this Easy Day Cobbler with cherries that they had picked from their cherry trees. What a treat!I think everyone enjoyed a scoop of ice cream with theirs.

Easy Day Cobbler

Preheat oven to 350.  Melt 1 stick of butter in a 9 x 13 - inch baking pan while preheating oven.

1 - 1/2 cup sugar

1 - 1/2 cup flour

2 - 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2     teaspoon salt

1 - 1/4 cup milk

Mix together the first four ingredients.  

Then stir in milk.  

Pour over melted butter (do not stir).  

Top with 4 cups berries or 5 cups peaches or apples.  

Pour in ½ cup water.  

Sprinkle with ¾ cup sugar.  

Bake 50 minutes or longer until done and slightly brown.

FUDGE BROWNIE PIE

When I looked at the back of my recipe card for this recipe, I saw that the first time I made it was for my husband's birthday in 1985. Unbelievable. I bet he doesn't remember that.  

I'm so glad I had that habit back in the 80s of writing on the back of recipe cards when I used it. I also know that I waited 4 years before I made it again.  (ha) That wasn't because we didn't like it. Life happened....I was back teaching at the time (after having my own "at-home day care" so I could stay with my  younger son following his birth) and we also moved to CA.

I decided to make it a few weeks ago and give to our neighbor after he cleared our driveway with his snow blower.  


IF YOU WOULD LIKE A PRINTABLE VERSION OF THIS RECIPE, CLICK HERE.

FUDGE BROWNIE PIE

1/2     cup margarine (1 stick)
3        squares (1 - oz each) unsweetened chocolate
1        cup sugar (can substitute sugar subsitute)
1/3    cup light corn syrup
1/4    cup unsifted flour
1        teaspoon vanilla
1/4    teaspoon salt
3       eggs
1       9 - inch graham cracker crumb crust
Cool Whip (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Beat the eggs slightly.

In a 2-quart saucepan over very low heat, melt the margarine and chocolate squares, stirring constantly until nice and smooth.

Remove from heat. Stir in the sugar, light corn syrup, vanilla, flour, vanilla and salt until well blended.

Stir in 3 eggs.

Pour into pie crust.  

Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until filling is puffed and center is firm.





Cool.

Serve with vanilla ice cream OR cover with one 8 - ounce container of whipped topping.





(May add 1/2 cup chopped nuts to mixture.)




I'm revealing some of my secrets on my blog, so maybe it will help you out sometime if this happens to you.

This is why I decided to cover the pie with the whipped topping. This is what the pie looked like when I took it out of the oven. I didn't notice all of the air bubbles when I poured the pie into the crust.
I knew the pie would taste fine but I didn't want to "give" this to someone looking like this. SO I had a container of Cool Whip and I just spread it on top.  No one would ever know .... until now.

SLOW COOKER OVERNIGHT CRANAPPLE OATMEAL

While fooling around on Pinterest the other night, I saw a pin for Overnight Apple Oatmeal.  The picture looked more like apple crisp, but the recipe wasn’t too difficult when I checked it out at Group Recipes.  It had been submitted by Michellem.  Sorry I can’t give anymore credit.  Since I haven’t eaten any baked oatmeal the last week and since I had the apples, I decided I would make some before I went to bed and let it cook overnight.

As usual, after I started preparing it, I decided to try using only one apple instead of the two and using some other fruit.  First I thought about substituting blueberries… I have a gallon freezer bag full.  Then I remembered I had frozen cranberries and I love apples and cranberries, so that is what I did. 

This morning I got to thinking about other possibilities and thought of using raisins, or even peaches instead of the apples and even wondered about using fresh strawberries.

Anyway, I love recipes that will allow for a variety of changes for different tastes/flavors.  I also substituted Splenda Brown Sugar Blend for the brown sugar to reduce the calories.

Since I used apples and cranberries, I am renaming my recipe

        OVERNIGHT CRANAPPLE OATMEAL

1      apple sliced, such as Granny Smith

1      cup frozen cranberries

1/3  cup brown sugar (I used 2  tablespoons + 2  teaspoons brown sugar blend)

1      teaspoon ground cinnamon

2      cups oats (I used rolled.  Old Fashioned or   Quick will do)

4      cups water                

Spray the inside of the slow cooker with cooking spray (for easy cleanup)

Cut the apple into slices.  (I do this by using my apple corer/slicer which cuts the apple into wedges.  Then I cut each wedge into 3 thin slices.)  I did not peel the apples.   It saves times, plus the peeling have fiber and other nutrients. The peeling was tender after cooking all night and contains some good vitamins. 

Layer the apple slices in the bottom of the slow cooker.

Spread the frozen cranberries in next.

Combine the brown sugar and the cinnamon in a small bowl and sprinkle over the apples and cranberries.

Add the oats in next spreading them in evenly.

Pour the water last.  DO NOT STIR.

Cover and turn the slow cooker onto Low.

Go to bed.

Get up 8 – 9 hours later and enjoy your cranapple oatmeal.  Stir when ready to serve.

Store leftover in a plastic container in the refrigerator.  To eat later, simply spoon out serving amount in microwavable bowl and heat for a minute in the microwave.

As I said, you can experiment with using other fruit or just use two apples and just have apple oatmeal as Michelle did.