4 (8 oz.) pkgs. store bought homestyle-biscuits (blue pkg.)
1 1/2 c. sugar
3 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 sticks butter
1 c. raisins
1 c. nuts

Cut 2 packages biscuits in quarters. Put in a tube pan (or 9x11x3). Mix sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle 1/2 cup nuts, 1/2 cup raisins over biscuits. Then sprinkle 1/2 cinnamon/sugar over that.

Cut rest of biscuits (2 packages) and drop over rest. Add other 1/2 cup raisins, 1/2 cup nuts, sugar/cinnamon. Melt butter and pour over all. Bake 350°F 40-50 minutes.

1 (9-inch) prepared chocolate crumb crust (recipe follows)

1 (8-ounce) package semisweet chocolate baking bars, broken up

1 tsp instant coffee granules

1 tsp water

3/4 c sour cream

1/2 c sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 c powdered sugar

1/4 c unsweetened baking cocoa

1 1/2 c heavy or whipping cream

2 tbls chocolate sprinkles (optional)

Makes 1 (9-inch) pie; serves 6 to 8.

Chocolate Crumb Crust

1 1/2 cups chocolate wafer crumbs
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

Makes 1 (9-inch) pie crust.

4 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 cup unsalted butter
2 c. sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
zest of 2 lemons

Oven 325°

In a large bowl, sift together flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.  Use an electric mixer to cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs.  Add flour mixture, and mix on low speed until completely combined. Stir in vanilla, lemon juice and zest. Wrap dough in plastic and chill for about 30 minutes.  Heat oven to 325°F. On a floured surface, roll dough to 1/8 inch thick. Cut into desired shapes using cookie cutters. Place on ungreased baking sheets and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Bake until edges just start to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on wire racks; decorate as desired.  See Icing recipe below.

5 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 c. molasses
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tbls. water
1 1/2 tsp. each ground ginger and ground cloves
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. salt
2 sticks unsalted butter

Oven 375°

Mix butter and sugar until creamy.  Add eggs, molasses and water. Mix well.  Mix the dry ingredients together.  Blend the dry ingredients into the butter mixture.  Chill for at least three hours or overnight.  Roll out dough onto lightly floured surface.  Using cookie cutters, cut out figures.  Place cookies about an inch apart on the cookie sheet and bake for five minutes at 375°.  Cool on rack and then decorate cookies with icing.

Icing

2 large egg whites, or more to thin icing
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar, or more to thicken icing
food colouring
juice of 1 lemon

Beat the whites until stiff but not dry. Add sugar and lemon juice and beat for 1 minute more. If icing is too thick, add more egg whites; if it is too thin, add more sugar.  Separate into different amounts depending on how many colours you want to make.  Add small amounts of food colouring as desired.  Place each colour in a pastry bag fitted with a #2 tip or baggie with a small corner snipped off.

1 lb. sweet potatoes
piecrust dough
dried beans
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
1 c. buttermilk
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
3 slightly beaten eggs
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp. salt
whipped cream

Oven 450°

Scrub sweet potatoes with a brush, pat dry, and prick with a fork in several places.  Bake potatoes for 40 to 50 minutes or until very tender. Cool until you can handle them with your hands.  While potatoes bake, roll out the pastry dough and line a 9-inch pie plate with the pastry. Crimp edges as desired.  Cover the pastry with a double layer of aluminum foil. Make sure it covers all the dough. Put a handful of dried beans or pie weights over the foil.  Bake the pastry in the 450°F oven for 8 minutes. Remove foil and bake 4 more minutes.  Take baked and cooled potatoes and cut them in half lengthwise.  Scoop the pulp of the potatoes into a large mixing bowl and mash.  Stir in sugar, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and salt. Add eggs. Beat lightly with a fork.  Gradually stir in buttermilk. Mix well.  Put the pastry shell on the oven rack and carefully pour filling into shell.  Cover the edge of the pie with foil. Reduce the oven temperature to 375°. and bake 25 minutes.  Remove foil and bake 25 more minutes, or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.  Cool for 30 minutes on a wire rack.  Chill at least 2 hours in the refrigerator before serving.  Serve with whipped cream.

1 3/4 cups fine graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
I cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
3 eggs
3 cups sour cream

Oven 375°

Combine crumbs, nuts, and cinnamon; add butter or margarine, stirring till well combined. Reserve 1/4 cup for top; press remainder onto bottom and 2 1/2 inches up sides of an 8-inch springform pan or 2 inches up sides of a 9-inch springform pan. In a large mixer bowl beat together cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, almond extract, and 1/4 teaspoon salt till smooth. Add eggs, beating at low speed of electric mixer just till combined. Do not overbeat. Stir in sour cream. Turn into prepared crust. Sprinkle reserved crumbs atop. Bake in a 375° oven for 50 to 55 minutes or till a knife inserted near center comes out almost clean. Cool on a wire rack; chill 4 to 5 hours. Makes 12 servings.

Raspberry Almond Coffee Cake

1 c all-purpose flour
1/4 c granulated sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg, beaten
1/2 c sour cream
1/4 c butter or margarine, melted
1 c fresh or frozen lightly sweetened raspberries
2 tbls brown sugar
1/3 c sliced almonds
Almond Icing

Oven 350°

Grease bottom and sides of an 8x1-1/2-inch round baking pan.  In a large mixing bowl stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Make a well in center of dry mixture.  In another mixing bowl beat together egg, sour cream, and butter or margarine. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just till moistened (batter will be lumpy).  Spread two-thirds of the batter into prepared baking pan. Sprinkle with raspberries and brown sugar.  Drop remaining batter by spoonfuls on top.  Sprinkle with almonds.  Bake in
a 350° F oven for 30 to 35 minutes or till a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.  Cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes.  Remove from pan, if desired. Cool about 20 minutes more. Drizzle with Almond Icing. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Almond Icing: In a small mixing bowl combine 1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon milk, and 1/4 teaspoon almond flavoring. Stir till smooth Add additional milk (1/2 to 1 teaspoon) to make drizzling consistency.

1  8oz can pineapple slices
2 tbls butter or margarine
1/2 c packed brown sugar
4 maraschino cherries, halved
1 1/2 c flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/3 c shortening
3/4 c sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Oven 350°

Drain pineapple and reserve the liquid.  Halve slices.  Melt the butter in a 9 x 1 1/2 round baking pan.  Stir in brown sugar and 1 tbls of reserved liquid.  Add enough water to the remaining liquid to make 2/3 c.  Set aside.  Arrange pineapple and cherries in pan.  Combine flour, baking powder, and 1/4 tsp salt.   Set aside.  Beat shortening till fluffy then add sugar and continue beating till combined.  Add egg and vanilla and beat about 1 more minute.  Add dry ingredients and the 2/3 c liquid alternately to sugar mixture, beating
after each addition.  Turn batter into pan gently so as not to disturb pineapple and cherries.   Bake in a preheated 375° F oven for approximately 40 minutes.  Cool for 5 minutes then invert onto a plate.  Serve warm.

Oven 375°

Beat eggs in mixing bowl until frothy.  Beat in sugar, a little bit at a time.  Stir in vanilla.   Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then in small additions, stir into egg mixture.   Heat milk and butter in a small saucepan until hot.  Add this to the cold mixture, stirring carefully.  Place this mixture in a greased 9x9 pan.  Bake in a 375°F oven for about 25 minutes.

Glaze

2 tbls milk
1/4 c butter or margarine
2/3 c packed brown sugar

Combine above ingredients in a small saucepan.  Heat until hot and stir until sugar is dissolved.  Spread over cake and place back in oven until glaze bubbles.  (3 - 5 minutes)

Oven 375°
    
Core apples, slice off a small part of the bottom so they sit level, then peel a strip off around the top of each.   Place apples in a 10x6x2 baking dish.  Fill apples with raisins.  In a saucepan, combine brown sugar, water, butter, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Bring to a boil.  Pour hot mixture around apples.  Bake, uncovered, in a 375°F oven for about 1 hour or until apples are tender, basting occasionally with sugar mixture.  Serve warm with ice cream.

Oven 225°

Beat egg white and water till frothy.  Add pecans and completely coat with mixture.   Combine dry ingredients and pour over pecans.  Stir until pecans are completely coated with mixture.  Place on parchment covered cookie sheet and bake in a 225°F oven for about 1 hour stirring halfway through.  Allow to cool completely until hard. 

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