Molten Lava Cakes

Thomalee demonstrated these for a Relief Society enrichment activity while we lived in San Jose. I love this recipe because of it's simplicity-both ingredients and preparation.

-Thomalee Abraham

2 T. butter, plus more for pans
1/3 c. confectioners sugar, plus more for pans and serving
2 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, broken in pieces
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
pinch salt
3 t. all purpose flour

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter two 6-ounce ramekins (or 2 cups of a standard size muffin tin), then dust with confectioners sugar. Place butter and chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high at 20 second intervals, stirring after each, until melted. Let cool slightly.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together egg, egg yolk, sugar, and salt. Add chocolate mixture; whisk to combine. Add flour and whisk just until combined (do not overmix!). Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake until a toothpick inserted 1/2 inch from edge of ramekins comes out clean, and a toothpick inserted in center comes out wet, 10-12 minutes (do not overbake!) Cool 10 minutes on a wire rack. Run a knife around inside of pans to loosen. Invert cakes onto serving plates and dust with sugar; serve immediately.

*If you want to double or triple this recipe, just add 3 minutes or so to baking time. To make ahead, cover ramekins with plastic wrap after step 2; refrigerate up to 1 day. Bake 14-16 minutes.

Chicken & Cheese Bundles

I've never used frozen roll dough for anything other than monkey bread, but this recipe opened up a whole other world of possibilities! I omitted the mushrooms because Brandon isn't a big fan, and used Monterrey Jack cheese because that's what I had on hand. Yummy!

-Taste of Home

1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms (didn't include)
1-1/2 tsp. butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup cubed cooked chicken breast
1/2 cup chopped roasted sweet red peppers
1 Tbsp. honey mustard
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. lemon-pepper seasoning
1/4 tsp. Italian seasoning
2 cups (8 oz) shredded Swiss cheese (any kind you have on hand)
12 frozen bread dough dinner rolls, thawed
2 Tbsp. butter, melted

In a large skillet, saute onion and mushrooms in butter until tender. Add garlic, cook 1 minute longer. Add the chicken, peppers, mustard and seasonings; heat through. Remove from the heat; stir in cheese.

Flatten each roll into a 5-inch circle. Place 1/4 cup of the chicken mixture in the center of six circles. Brush edges with water; top with remaining circles. Press edges with a fork to seal. (Cut slit in top for steam to escape.)

Place on greased baking sheets; brush with butter. Bake at 350 degrees for 18-22 minutes or until golden brown. Cut bundles in half to serve.

Cap'n Crunch French Toast

One of our favorite TV shows is Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives with Guy Fieri. I was browsing some of the books at the library and came across a book/cookbook of some of the places they've had on the show. After thumbing through the book, I saw this recipe remembered seeing the episode where they served french toast crusted in crushed Cap'n Crunch cereal. Of course it's good - look at the ingredients! :)

-From the Blue Moon Cafe, Baltimore MD

4-5 Servings

3/4 cup heavy cream
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3 cups Cap'n Crunch cereal
8-10 slices bread, such as Texas toast or French bread
Butter for cooking

Topping:
1 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp confectioner's sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 cups assorted fresh seasonal berries

Mix the cream, eggs, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl and whisk until combined.

Put the cereal in a storage bag and use a rolling pin to crush cereal until it resembles cracker meal. Transfer the cereal to a shallow bowl.

Dip a couple slices of the bread into the cream mixture until soft but not completely soaked. Let excess liquid drip from the bread, then press into the cereal crumbs to coat evenly. Place on a sheet pan and repeat with the remaining slices.

Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat, add butter as needed, and cook the bread until caramelized on both sides, about 6 to 8 minutes total.

For the whipped cream toppin; Beat the cream, confectioners' sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl with a hand mixer to soft peaks. Dollop on top of the French taost and serve with the berries.

Banana Split Ice-Cream Cake

I can always tell how good a dessert is by how long it takes to disappear! I made this for our FHE dessert on Monday and its about 2/3 gone (a little scary actually). :) This one is a winner and really does taste like a banana split. Plan ahead - this one takes awhile to prepare.

-Family Fun

2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup butter, melted
4-5 medium bananas, sliced into 1/2" thick rounds
1 1/2 quarts strawberry ice cream, softened (Do not use low fat)
1 cup walnuts (I prefer pecans)
1 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup butter
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1 cup evaporated milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 (8 oz) container nondairy whipped topping

In a small bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs and the melted butter. Set aside 1/2 cup of the mixture, then press the remainder into the bottom of a 9x13" pan.

Place the banans in a single layer over the crust. spread the softened ice cream on top and smooth. Sprinkle the nuts on the ice cream, then cover with plastic wrap and freeze until firm, about 1 hour.

In a large saucepan, melt the chocolate chips and the 1/4 cup butter and stir until smooth. Add the confectioners' sugar and evaporated milk. Cook, stirring constantly over medium heat until slightly thickened and smooth, about 8 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Cool the mixture, about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour the mixture over the ice cream and freeze until firm, about 45 minutes.

Spread the whipped topping over the chocolate layer and sprinkle with the reserved crumbs. Freeze for at least 3 1/2 hours. Remove the dish from the freezer 10 to 20 minutes before slicing. Serves 18.

Chipotle Sweet Potatoes

I've always loved sweet potatoes, just not the ones covered with marshmallows and sugar. :) This is a new spin that Brandon and I really enjoyed!

-Taste of Home

3 large sweet potatoes (about 2 1/2 lbs), peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes
1 cup balsamic vinaigrette, divided*
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/3 cup minced fresh cilantro
3 Tbsp. honey
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced (I used 1 and it was plenty spicy!)

Place sweet potatoes in two greased 15"x10"x1" baking pans. Drizzle with 1/2 cup vinaigrette and sprinkle with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Bake at 400 for 25-30 minutes or until tender, stirring once. Cool slightly; transfer to large bowl.

In a small bowl, whisk the remaining vinaigrette with the cilantro, honey and chipotle peppers. Pour over potatoes and gently stir to coat.

*For homemade vinaigrette: (from allrecipes.com)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar
1 clove crushed garlic
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1 pinch salt
ground black pepper to taste

Rockin' S'more Bars

Another yummy one from Family Fun! Marshmallow Fluff isn't the easiest thing to work with, but for this I'd say it's worth it!

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup crushed graham crackers
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 (1.55-ounce) chocolate bars
1 (7-ounce) jar of marshmallow creme


Grease an 8-inch-square baking pan. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract. Add the crushed graham crackers, flour, salt, and baking powder and beat until well mixed, stopping occasionally to scrape the sides of the bowl.

Spoon half the dough into the pan and spread evenly with your fingertips. Break the chocolate into pieces and arrange over the dough. Spread a layer of marshmallow creme over the chocolate. Flatten the remaining dough into pancakes and lay them over the marshmallow.

Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Let the bars cool before serving.

CPK's Spinach Artichoke Dip

All I can say is YUM! I've made many versions of spinach artichoke dip, but this one really takes the cake. It does take a few ingredients, and some time to make, but It's Worth It! Suzie made this to go along with the cookies for our holiday cookie exchange, and I liked it so much I just had to have it again! I made it for the Tostitos National Championship game and Brandon and I polished off a good portion of it all by ourselves. It was even good reheated the next day. :)

-Suzie Irwin

¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
¾ cup diced white or yellow onion
1 ½ tablespoon minced garlic
½ cup flour
1 ½ cup chicken stock
1 ½ cup heavy cream
¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons dehydrated chicken stock base or crumbled bullion cubes
1 ½ tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon sugar
¾ cup sour cream
12 ounces frozen spinach, defrosted, drained, wrung out by hand and coarsely chopped
6 ounces canned artichoke bottoms, drained and cut into 1/8 inch slices
1 cup finely shredded Monterey Jack cheese
¾ teaspoon Tabasco Sauce (I'd use a little less next time)
Blue and white corn tortilla chips

In a large saucepan, warm olive oil and butter together over medium heat. When butter has melted, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook 2 to 3 minutes longer, stirring frequently and stopping before the onion and garlic brown.

Sprinkle the flour and continue cooking, stirring continuously, until the mixture turns a golden blonde color, 10 to 15 minutes. Then, whisking continuously, slowly pour in the stock until it is smoothly incorporated. When the mixture begins to simmer, stir in the cream. Let it return to the simmer. Add the Parmesan, chicken base or cubes, lemon juice and sugar and stir until thoroughly blended.

Add the sour cream, spinach, artichoke bottoms, Monterey Jack cheese and Tabasco sauce and stir until the ingredients are thoroughly combined and the cheese in melted. Transfer to a warmed serving dish and serve immediately, accompanied by blue and white corn tortilla chips