Number One Most Requested Delicious Dessert--Raspberry White Chocolate Dream Bars



1 box white cake mix

1/3 cup evaporated milk

1-1/2 sticks melted butter

1 cup chopped nuts

1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam

12 oz. white chocolate chips

Combine cake mix, milk, butter and nuts. Makes a very gooey dough. Spray a 9 x 13 pan and spread half of the dough into the bottom of the pan. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

Melt the jam in the microwave (about a minute) and spread on top of hot crust. Immediately sprinkle chocolate chips over jam. Crumble remaining dough on top and bake an additional 20-25 minutes. Cool completely before cutting.

For bigger parties, this recipe easily doubles and can be made in a 15 x 10 pan.

Once you get the hang of this technique, you can think of all sorts of combinations. How about using chocolate cake with mint chips? Or lemon cake with white chocolate?

Number Two Most Requested Delicious Dessert--Chocolate Amaretto Bundt Cake

1 pkg. chocolate devil's food cake mix

1 small pkg. instant chocolate pudding mix

4 eggs

1 cup milk

1-1/2 oz. Amaretto liqueur

1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

1 cup fresh raspberries (optional)

1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam (optional)

Whipped cream (optional)

Glaze

1 stick butter

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup Amaretto

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine first 6 ingredients and blend well. Stir in chips. Grease and flour a bundt pan. Pour batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean.

Melt glaze ingredients in a saucepan or microwave. Pour 2/3 of glaze over top of cake while cake is hot from oven and still in pan. Allow cake to remain in pan for 25 minutes. Remove cake from pan and drizzle with remaining glaze.

When I make this cake dessert, I fill the middle with fresh raspberries and present it on my grandmother's crystal pedestal cake stand which is very dramatic.

Just before serving, I make a raspberry sauce by melting the jam in the microwave.

Each lucky guest gets a plate with some of the sauce, a slice of cake, a few berries and some whipped cream. Yum!

Number Three Most Requested Delicious Dessert--Mystic Mint Cookies

These are melt-in-your-mouth heaven!

Dough

1 cup sugar

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

2 squares (1 oz. each) unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Mix sugar, butter, vanilla, egg and unsweetened chocolate. Stir in flour and salt.

Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten each cookie with fingertips. Bake until set, about 8 minutes. Remove to cooling racks and cool completely.

Peppermint Frosting

2-1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter, softened

3 tablespoons milk

1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

Mix all frosting ingredients until smooth and of spreading consistency.

Chocolate Drizzle

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter, softened

2 tablespoons corn syrup

1-6 oz. package semisweet chocolate chips

Simmer all drizzle ingredients over low heat. Stir constantly until butter and chocolate are melted.

Spread peppermint frosting over cooled cookies then drizzle each with chocolate mixture. Leave on counter for 2-3 hours until frosting is set.

If you serve any of these homemade desserts, you can count on your guests being very happy. And I will bet that you will be handing out recipes, just like I do at my house.