Swirl Cake (Breakfast Pie Bars)

You can bake these and then freeze the whole batch.  Then for breakfast you just pull out the pan, reheat them in the oven or microwave and serve.  We made these ones with apple pie filling.  They were oh, so yummy!

1 cup butter
1 3/4 cup sugar
4 eggs (one at a time)
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3 cups flour
1 large can of pie filling (any flavor)

Mix above ingredients.  Spread 2/3s of the batter on a greased and floured cookie sheet.  Spread with pie filling and dot with remaining batter.  Bake at 350 degrees, for 45 minutes.  (If you want, you can drizzle with a powdered sugar glaze; however, they are definitely sweet enough without; especially for breakfast.)

Almond Cranberry Granola Bars

These are a seriously delicious breakfast on the go.  I keep them wrapped in saran in the freezer and pull one out in the morning to warm up a little before eating.  Mmmm.

3 cups oats
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed Milk
2 Tbsp butter, melted
1 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup cranberries, dried
1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Grease 13x9 inch pan.  Mix together oats, milk, butter, almonds, cranberries, coconut, and chocolate chips.  Mix with your hands until well blended.  Press into pan.  Bake 20-25 minutes, until lightly browned around edges.  Let cool 5 minutes, cut into squares, and then let cool completely.

BYU Brownies and More!

The following was copied from the BYU Today monthly e-newsletter for BYU Alumni:

The most commonly requested recipe at BYU among its alumni is for its mint brownies. BYU Alumni is providing it, along with three other university favorites.

Bon Appetit!

Note: Many ingredients are listed in ounces. A cup contains eight ounces.

BYU Brownies
1 cup butter or margarine
½ cup cocoa
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 cups cake flour
½ tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions: Melt butter. Add cocoa and mix well. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.
Pour batter into a greased 9X13 baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.
Let cool then ice with mint icing. Place into freezer for 5-10 minutes to stiffen the icing.
Remove from freezer and carefully smooth on a layer of chocolate icing.

Mint Icing
12 oz. powdered sugar
2 ½ oz. Crisco shortening
Dash of salt
2 oz. cold water
½ tsp. mint extract
1-2 drops green food coloring

Directions: Combine all ingredients except shortening. Mix until smooth. Add shortening and mix 10 more minutes until smooth and fluffy.

Chocolate Icing
12 oz. powdered sugar
1.5 oz. hot water
1.5 oz butter or margarine
1.5 oz. melted chocolate chips
1 tablespoon corn syrup
¼ teaspoon vanilla

Directions: Mix the hot water, margarine, and powdered sugar until smooth and margarine is fully melted. Add the fudge base, corn syrup, and vanilla. Mix until smooth.

Chocolate Road Bars
11 oz. butter
3.5 oz. cocoa paste
3 ½ cups granulated sugar
6 eggs
¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
3 cups chopped walnuts
5 oz. miniature marshmallows

Directions: melt butter and stir in the cocoa paste. Whip eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt until very light and fluffy and fold in the cocoa past mixture. Fold in the flour by hand until texture is smooth and consistent. Pour into greased half sheet pan. Sprinkle walnut pieces, mini marshmallows, and chocolate chips over the batter evenly. Bake at 300 degrees for 20 minutes, they turn up the heat to 350 degrees for another 20 to 25 minutes.

Cherry Chews
1.5 lbs. granulated sugar
½ teaspoon salt
12 oz. egg whites
½ teaspoon vanilla
14 oz. cake flour
8 oz. shortening
4 oz. butter or margarine
1 ¼ cups chopped walnuts
6 oz. red glazed cherries (can substitute drained maraschino cherries patted dry)

Directions: Melt the shortening and margarine; set aside for later. Beat sugar, salt, egg whites, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add the shortening and margarine and mix until smooth. Add the flour and mix until just incorporated. Add the cherries and nuts to the mix, mixing just until combined. Pour into greased half sheet pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Pumpkin Crumble
2.5 lbs. white cake mix
12 oz butter or margarine
2 cups chopped walnuts
3 lbs canned pumpkin
5 eggs
3 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
15 oz. evaporated milk

Directions: mix the cake mix and the margarine until crumbly. Be very careful not to over mix.
Divide the crumb mixture in half. Press one half into the bottom of a greased 2 inch buffet pan.
Add the chopped walnuts to the remaining half and set it aside for later. Mix the pumpkin with the eggs, sugar, spice, and evaporated milk. Pour the pumpkin mixture over the flattened crumb mixture in the pan. Sprinkle the remaining crumb/ nut mixture over the top. Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour or until the pumpkin mixture is firm.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3-4 cups flour
12 oz bag chocolate chips

Cream sugars and butter. Add eggs and vanilla. Stir in all dry ingredients. Add chocolate chips. Drop by spoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees F for 8-10 minutes. Makes about 5 dozen cookies.

Sugar Cookie Frosting

4 cups confectioners sugar

1/2 cup shortening
5 Tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
food coloring

In a large bowl, cream together sugar and shortening until smooth. Gradually add milk and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth and stiff, about 5 minutes. Color with food coloring if desired.

Decorated Sugar Cookies

3 3/4 cups All-Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 cup Butter, softened
1 1/2 cups White Sugar
2 Eggs
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract

Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together, set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at at time, then stir in the vanilla. Gradually blend in the sifted ingredients until fully absorbed. Cover dough and chill for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets. On a clean floured surface, roll out small portions of chilled dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out desired shapes using cookie cutters.

Bake 6-8 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are barely brown. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.  Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Frost using your favorite frosting (here's mine). To decorate like the ones in the picture, use this Royal Icing recipe. For tips and other directions on how to use the frosting, check out Sweetopia. That is where I learned all I know about frosting cookies with Royal Icing.

Royal Icing

3/4 cup warm water
5 Tablespoons Meringue Powder
1 teaspoon Cream of Tatar
9 cups Powdered Sugar
1 teaspoon Clear Vanilla
food coloring

In mixer bowl, pour in the warm water and the meringue powder. Mix it with a whisk by hand until it is frothy and thickened...about 30 seconds.
Add the cream of tartar and mix for 30 seconds more.
Pour in all the powdered sugar at once and place the bowl on the mixer.
Using the paddle attachment on the LOWEST spped, mix slowly for a full 10 minutes. Icing will get thinck and creamy.
Cover the bowl with a dampened tea-towel to prevent crusting and drying.
Tint with food colorings. Thin the icing with small amounts of warm water to reach the desired consistency.
Frosts about 10 dozen cookies. You can store the icing in plastic tubs for up to two weeks.

For tips and other directions on how to use the frosting, check out Sweetopia. That is where I learned all I know about frosting cookies with Royal Icing.