Lemon Strawberry Jar Cakes

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Lemon Strawberry Jar Cakes

Cake Ingredients

1 box lemon cake mix

1 small lemon jello instant pudding mix

4 large egg whites

1 cup sour cream

1/2 milk

1/3 cup oil

Buttercream Frosting Ingredients

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup butter

1 tsp vanilla

4 cups confectioners sugar

2 tbls Milk

Berry Filling Ingredients

Thick strawberry (or raspberry) Jam

Candied Lemons Ingredients**

(totally not necessary)

2 lemons thinly sliced

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

If you are going for the gold and making the candied lemons, they need to be made a day or two in advance (I had no idea). Boil sugar and water in a sauce pan over medium heat. Place slices in pan and simmer for 5-7 mins. Place lemons on cooling wrack and cool until hard. )A really long time.)

To the cake:

Preheat oven to temp indicated on your box cake. Mix cake ingredients for 2 mins. on medium setting. Fill sprayed and floured mason jars half way with batter. Place jars in a 9X14 pan that is filled with a 1/4in of water. Place in oven and cook for 30-45 mins (depends how large your jars are, the small ones I did took 30mins, the 1/2 pint jars took 35. Insert fork and just test every 5 mins to see when done.)

While cake is cooking make your frosting. Cream butter and shortening together then add sugar,vanilla and milk. You might need to add more sugar or milk to thicken or thin. Place in fridge while waiting for cake to cool.

Once your cakes are done place jars on a cooling wrack and wait until they are 100% cooled. If you decide that just spooning jam and frosting on top isn't "cool" enough or rather the cake to frosting ratio just won't cut it, then you can be ambitious and layer. Knock the cake out of the jars. You'll have to rewash the jars as they are all crumby and not nice looking. Cut cakes into 4ths, place one layer into jar, spoon in a dollop of jam then frosting, place next cake slice and repeat with dollops and layers. Top with frosting and lemon slice.

Walahh.

Sometimes I get a little too ambitious, this was one of those times.

You got the "easy" recipe, keep it that way. Here are the Do's and Don'ts I learned on the first go around of these delicious cakes.

DO stick to a recipe.

DON'T think that because you don't stick to recipes while cooking you can do the same thing while baking. Baking and cooking are totally different.

DO use milk when the recipe calls for milk.

*DON'T use whipping cream in place of milk thinking that it is "heavier" and "yummier" and therefore will make the cake taste better.

DO use jam for your berry filling.

DON'T try to make your own berry filling, especially DON'T use cornstarch and gelatin to thicken your mashed up strawberries.

DO start with a small amount of milk *not whipping cream* when mixing your frosting, add more later if you need to thin.

DON'T dump in a large amount of milk all at once and then have to use an entire bag of powdered sugar to thicken resulting in a week of frosting sitting in your fridge and you eating a spoon full every time you enter the kitchen.

In the end, this CAN be super easy, make it that way.

Did you see my ridiculous Jello floating around on pinterest? Try it our next year, it gets every talking about how cool you are : )

the yummiest carmel corn ever!

1 square of butter

1 lb. of brown sugar {about 2 1/2 - 2 3/4 cups}

1 cup of karo syrup

1 can of sweetened condensed milk

Several bags of butter popcorn already popped {I usually just pop up 3 bags of microwave popcorn but you can stove pop some too}

Directions:

Bring butter, brown sugar, and karo syrup to a boil, then add sweetened condensed milk. Keeping stirring and cook this mixture to a soft ball stage. Then pour over popped butter popcorn. I just kept adding popcorn until I thought it looked like there was enough.

ENJOY!! :)

Peanut Butter Surprise Cookies :)

i got this recipe off my friend {ashley's} blog a while ago and they are sooooo yummy!!

ingredients:

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup granulated sugar, for rolling dough
36 mini peanut butter cups, chilled and unwrapped

directions:

preheat oven to 350 degrees. using an electric mixer, cream peanut butter and butter in a mixing bowl until smooth. add brown sugar; beat until combined, scraping down bowl as needed. add eggs and vanilla, and beat until incorporated. in a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. with mixer on low speed, gradually beat in flour mixture in two batches. scoop off dough by the tablespoon; roll into balls. place granulated sugar on a plate; roll balls in sugar, coating completely. place 2 inches apart on a nonstick insulated baking sheet. bake until cookies begin to puff up slightly, about 7 minutes. remove from oven. press one peanut butter cup in center of each cookie. return to oven; continue baking until cookies are golden brown and chocolate has begun to melt, about 6 minutes more. let cool at least 10 minutes on baking sheet before transferring cookies to rack to cool completely. makes around 36 cookies.

Strawberry Danish Dessert

*Bottom layer!
White Cake mix: Cook as directed but make 6 cupcakes out of the batter and then cook the rest in a 9x13 pan. Cool.

*2nd layer!
1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened 12 oz Cool Whip
2 cups powdered sugar

Mix together and spread on cake and refrigerate.

*Top layer!
Cook 1 pkg Strawberry Danish Dessert. Completely cool and add 1 ½ cups fresh sliced strawberries on top of the cream cheese mix.

Cut and Serve! It's the best and great for the Red, White and Blue holidays coming up :)

{April's} Chocolate Chip Cookies!!

These are the {perfect} chocolate chip cookies! They are nice and fluffy and soooo good!

{cream together}

2/3 cup shortening

2/3 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

{then add}

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

3 1/2 cups flour

1 bag of semi-sweet or milk choc. chips

bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes :)

Peanut Butter Finger {goodness}

These are soooo heavenly! We made lots of cookies this past weekend for Jesse's open house :) I got this recipe from my friend Rachel and it's awesome!!

Bars

1 cup butter

½ tsp salt
1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla
1 cup brown sugar

2 cups flour
2 eggs

2 cups quick oats
1 cup peanut butter

1 tsp soda

Peanut butter frosting
2 cups powdered sugar
½ cup peanut butter
6-8 TB Milk

Chocolate frosting
2 cups powdered sugar
¼ cup cocoa
1 tsp vanilla
¼ cup softened butter
5-8 TB milk

Blend butter, sugar, brown sugar. Blend in unbeaten eggs, peanut butter, soda, salt and vanilla. Stir in flour and oats. Spread onto greased jelly roll pan. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes. While still hot spread peanut butter frosting evenly. Let cool and then spread chocolate frosting over top. Let set, cut into squares. Enjoy!!! {thanks Rach!}

Chocolate Scotcheroos

1 cup sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup peanut butter
6 cups rice crispies

1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips

Combine sugar and syrup in a saucepan. Cook over moderate heat, stirring frequently until mixture boils. Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter, mix well, add rice crispies, stir until well blended. Press mixture into buttered 13 x 9 pan.

Melt chips together. Spread evenly over bars. Cool until firm.

Melt-a-ways

2 Squares butter
3/4 Cup cornstarch
1/3 Cup powdered sugar
1 Cup flour

Cream butter till fluffy, then add rest of the ingredients and mix well.

Put dough in a cake decorating bag, and squeeze onto wax paper - so it looks like a long worm.
Cover, put in fridge and chill for 1 hour. Slice into size you want. You can make them very small to be bite-sized. Bake at 350 for 8 - 10 min. Let cool, put a drop of icing on top.

Frosting:
3 oz. cream cheese
1 Cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Another variation: One day my friend brought me some melt-a-ways from a bakery in Bountiful. They were regular cookie-sized. So, the last time I made this recipe, I chilled the dough for one hour, then used my ice-cream/cookie scoop and dropped them onto the cookie sheet in a regular cookie form. They were yummy that way too!

Whoopie Pies

Whoopie Pies

I remember my Aunt Sheridan making these when I was little, and they are so good!!

cookie
1 cup sugar
1/2 cups of butter
1 egg
1 yolk
2 cups flour
2/3 cup cocoa
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 hot water
2/3 cup buttermilk

bake at 350 for 8 minutes

frosting
2 cups powdered sugar
1 egg white
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup shortening
1/4 cup butter

Fudge!

This is again my cute Grandma's recipe! It is {soooo} good! Actually, it's pretty easy too!

4 ½ C. Sugar
1 Can evaporated Milk

Bring these two ingredients to a boil. Boil for 8 min. stirring constantly. Then pour hot mixture over the following ingredients that you have ready to go in a large bowl:

2 ½ C. Nuts
½ lb. butter
1 pkg semi-sweet choc chips
1 pkg milk choc chips
1 8 oz jar marshmallow crème
Pinch salt

Stir until smooth. Pour into a buttered 9x13” pan. Cool and enjoy!

Fondant

This is one of my {favorite} treats for Christmas that my Grandma Dunford makes!

1 pkg. Powdered sugar (the largest)
2 cube butter - softened
1 Can eagle brand milk
1 tsp vanilla

Stir together. Add peppermint flavoring to taste. Stir with spoon till creamy. Drop onto wax paper. Freeze - take out and dip into chocolate.

Pumpkin Stuff Just Tastes Good this time of Year! Try these Frosted Pumpkin Bars

1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 tspns baking powder
2 tspns ground cinnamon
1 tspn baking soda
1/2 tspn ginger
1 can (15 oz) pure pumpkin (not the pie mix)
3/4cup butter
3 eggs
3/4 chopped dried cranberries (I use chocolate chips instead)

Mix in a large bowl ~wet ingredients first then add the dry~
Bake @ 350 for 25 minutes in a sheet cake pan
Cool completely before frosting

Frosting:
Whip 1 cube softened butter
abt 1/8 cup milk (m/l depending on desired consistency)
2 cups pwdrd sugar (m/l depending on desired consistency)
1 tspn vanilla

Very Delicious Applesauce Cake

Arlo used to make this for the kids in the morning before school. This isn't his recipe but is very GOOD!

Whip 2 cups applesauce, 1/2 cup melted butter, 1 cup brown sugar and 1 egg until fluffy.

Add in 2 cups flour, 1 tspn salt, 1 tspn cinnamon, 1/2 tspn nutmeg, 1/4 tspn cloves, 2 tspns baking soda and 1 cup chopped nuts if desired.

Mix thouroughly

Spread into 9 x 13 pan and bake @ 350 for 50 minutes

When you pull out of the oven sprinkle pwdrd sugar over the top.

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Ribbon Dessert

Prep Time: 15 min Total Time: 4 hr 15 min Makes: 12 servings

12 NUTTER BUTTER Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies, divided
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tub (12 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided
2 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, melted

CRUSH 8 of the cookies in resealable plastic bag with rolling pin. Mix cookie crumbs and butter. Press onto bottom of foil-lined 9x5-inch loaf pan.

MIX cream cheese, peanut butter, sugar and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Gently stir in 3 cups of the whipped topping. Spoon 1/2 cup of the cream cheese mixture into small bowl. Stir in melted chocolate until well blended; set aside. Spoon half of the remaining cream cheese mixture over crust. Top evenly with chocolate mixture; cover with remaining cream cheese mixture.

FREEZE 4 hours or overnight until firm. Invert onto plate. Remove foil, then re-invert onto serving platter so that crumb layer is on bottom. Coarsely break the remaining 4 cookies. Top dessert with remaining whipping topping and cookies.

No-Bake Cookies

In Medium Sauce pan mix:

2 cups sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 cup butter
1 Tbl. vanilla
1/2 cup milk

& boil 1 minute

take off heat & quickly mix in

1/2 cup peanut butter
3 1/2 cups oatmeal and 1/2 cup coconut

Drop by spoonfuls on wax paper
Cool and eat

Apple Snicker Salad

This is very simple and very yummy!

2 Red Delicious apples
2 Gala Apples
2 green apples
1 8 oz container of Cool Whip (more or less depending on your preference)
5 Snickers candy bars
Dice apples, chop Snickers, put in bowl and stir in Cool Whip.

That's all there is to it and this is a hit with younger kids!
(This makes quite a big bowl, it's easy to size it down to your needs).

Dreamy Dream Bars!!

I'm obviously in charge of dessert this mother's day but here's the other recipe from April that I'll be making :) These are sooooo yummy!



2 cups flour
2 cups oatmeal
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups melted butter

mix together and spray a 9x13 pan and press half the mixture in the bottom. bake for 17 minutes at 325. sprinkle a bag of choc chips, pour mrs. richardson butterscotch carmel over the top and crumble the second half of the mixture over the top and bake for 17 more minutes.

Frozen Key Lime Dessert

I just got this recipe from Liz and thought I'd share if anyone is needing a good dessert for the holiday weekend :) It's soooo yummy!




2 C. fine graham cracker crumbs
6 Tbs. melted butter
2 cans Eagle brand milk
4 eggs separated
12 oz. lime juice (1 1/2 cups)
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 C. sugar
6 drops green food coloring

Combine crumbs and butter. Reserve 1/2 C. mixture. Press remaining mixture on bottom and sides of buttered 9 X 13 pan - chill. Beat egg yoks until thick; combine with eagle brand milk, add lime and vanilla, stir until thickened & tint pale green. Beat egg whites into soft peak and gradually add sugar; beat until stiff but not dry. Fold into eagle brand milk mixture. Pour into pan, sprinkle reserved crumbs on top. Freeze firm.

Cookie Salad

Ok so I figure I better get a few more good ones on here before the month is done :) I got this recipe from Aunt Liz but since I eat the most of it at family get togethers, I have been dubbed the official cookie salad maker I think!




2 cups buttermilk (or a pint)
2 pkgs 3 oz vanilla pudding mix (instant)
12 oz cool whip
(mix these together)
add:
1 cup crushed pineapple
1 can mandarin oranges
2-3 bananas
1 cup seedless grapes
1 package fudge strip cookies (crushed up)

Add everything together and save a couple cookies to crush over the top! I've also substituted strawberries when I had no grapes and it is super good! (or you could just add them in the mix!)

Mandarin Orange Jell-O Salad

I know this is a Jell-O salad and all, but it really is SOO good. It is almost so good you could eat it as a dessert. This is perfect for any party because you do the bulk of the preparing the night before.
ENJOY

1 small box of "cook & serve" vanilla pudding (make sure it is the "cook & serve" kind)
1 small box of "cook & serve" tapioca pudding
1 small box of orange Jell-o

Bring to boil with 3C of water. Boil for 6 minutes. Cool overnight.
Before serving, fold in 1 large tub of Cool Whip and a couple cans of mandarin oranges (drained).