Boston Cream Pie

2 eggs
3/4 c sugar
1/3 c butter, softened
1/2 t vanilla
1 c all-purpose flour
1 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
1/3 c milk

Preheat oven: to 350 degrees

1. Beat eggs in mixing bowl until thick. Beat in sugar, butter and vanilla.
2. Add flour, baking powder and salt. Stir.
3. Add milk. Stir and pour into 1 greased 8" round layer pan.
4. Bake in oven for about 25 to 30 minutes until an inserted wooden pick comes out clean. Cool. 5. Cut cake to make 2 layers. Spread custard filling between layers.

Custard Filling
1 c milk
1/4 c sugar
1/4 c all-purpose flour
1/8 t salt
1 egg
1/2 t vanilla

1. Bring milk to a boil in a medium saucepan.
2. Meanwhile mix sugar, flour and salt together thoroughly.
3. Add egg and vanilla. Mix well. Stir into boiling milk to thicken. Remove from heat. Cool.
4. Setting pan in ice water helps to cool quicker. Stir often. Spread between layers. Apply Chocolate Glaze.

Chocolate Glaze
1 cup icing sugar
2 Tbsp Cocoa
1 Tbsp Butter, softened
4 tsp water or milk

Beat all 4 ingredients together in a small bowl. Add more water if needed to make a barely pourable glaze. Spread over top of cake. Allow some to drizzle down sides a bit. Chill. Serve with or without whipped cream.

Note: A regular 2 layer cake may be used, your own a mix. Being larger it will give more cake per serving.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are simply the best chocolate chip cookie I've made! They are a great treat, easy and delicious. Freeze well for lunches and snacks too!

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 cup butter (softened) or Crisco/butter combination if your running a bit low on butter!

3/4 cup white sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar (packed)

1 tsp vanilla (or more to suit taste)

2 eggs

2 cups milk chocolate chips (that's a bag of about 326g)

1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven: to 375 degrees

1. Cream butter, sugars, vanilla and eggs.

2. Add flour, soda, salt.

3. Mix thoroughly add chocolate chips (and nuts if using them).

4. On greased cookie sheet (or parchment lined cookie sheet), drop by teaspoonful size.

5. Bake for about 9 minutes.

6. Remove from pan and cool. Store in airtight container or freezer containers.

TIP: Watch the BOTTOM of the cookies not the tops to check for when they are done. Cookie bottoms should be golden brown. The top of the cookie may look unbaked, but will finish baking... if you remove the cookies when the tops look 'done' or golden, the bottoms will be darker, and the cookie will be crunchier. For soft cookies, remove when bottoms are golden.

Makes about 5 dozen cookies. Cookies are about 1 1/2" when baked.

Make these on a rain or snow day when you're stuck inside and freeze them for picnics, school lunches, midnight snacks or just because you'd like a cookie!

Butterscotch Oat Squares

An heirloom recipe over 100 years old, this was one of my first recipes when I was a budding baker. Easy to make and very delicious served warm with vanilla ice cream. One-dish recipe!

1 cup brown sugar

1 tsp baking powder

2 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup melted butter

1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven: to 375 degrees

1. Combine all ingredients in an ungreased 8x8" (or 9x9") baking pan.

2. Blend thoroughly and pat down with a fork.

3. Bake for 8-10 minutes until lightly golden brown and bubbly on the top.

Cut into squares while still warm.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Who can resist a fresh baked cookie? These cookies are a great freezer friendly recipe to have on hand for school lunches or midnight snacks!

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup butter

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 Tbsp milk

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup oatmeal

1 cup chocolate chips (personal favourite: milk chocolate chips)

Preheat oven: to 350 degrees

1. Cream butter and sugars.

2. Add egg, vanilla and milk.

3. Sift & add dry ingredients.

4. Mix well & add oatmeal and chocolate chips.

5. Drop 2" apart on greased (I use parchment instead) baking sheet.

6. Bake for 8-10 minutes.

Cookies are done when they are golden on the bottom; don't look at the tops because you may find the bottoms will burn by the time the top "looks" done.

Store in an airtight (childproof locked cupboard if you want any for the next day!) or in freezer bags.

Delicious cookie, easy to make and a great recipe for a budding baker to try!

Oat Delights

This cookie has many names, but only one great taste. This no-bake treat is great in the summer when heating up the oven is something you want to avoid. Pre measure the dry ingredients before you leave for camping and surprise the gang with a fresh made treat!

Oat Delights / Macaroons / Chocolate Coconut No-Bake Cookies

2 cups white sugar

6 Tbsp cocoa

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup milk

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 cup shredded coconut

3 cups instant oats

1. Combine sugar, cocoa, butter and milk in a saucepan; bring to a boil.

2. Add vanilla.

3. Remove from heat and stir in coconut and oats.

4. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper. Chill.

Tips:

* This makes a lot of cookies, have baking sheets/cookie sheets lined with waxed paper ready ahead of time to drop the heated mixture onto.

* Eat when thoroughly cooled, as the mixture is very hot.

* Store in an airtight container with layers of waxed paper in the fridge (to prevent softening).

* Soak the pot and spoon after it's empty for ease of clean-up.

Banana Sour Cream Cake

A delicious way to use up ripe bananas!

Topping:

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Mix and set aside.

Batter:

1/2 cup shortening (I use Crisco in the blue box)

1 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 cup bananas, mashed (about 2 bananas)

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup sour cream

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven: to 350 degrees

1. Combine shortening, sugar & sour cream until light and fluffy.

2. Beat in eggs, bananas & vanilla.

3. Combine dry ingredients and mix with creamed mixture.

4. Spoon HALF of the batter into a well-greased bundt (or angel food cake tube pan).

5. Cover with HALF of the topping mixture.

6. Spoon remainder of batter onto topping and top with remainder of topping mixture.

7. Bake for 40-45 minutes until cake tests done with inserted wooden toothpick coming out clean.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

So good, you'll want to eat it for breakfast!

Batter:
1 cup butter (or margarine)

1 1/4 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

Topping: (mix and set aside)
Mix 3/4 cup brown sugar (packed) with 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon & 3/4 chopped walnuts.

Preheat oven: to 350 degrees

1. Cream butter and sugar; beat eggs in one at a time.

2. Stir in sour cream and vanilla.

3. Add flour, baking powder, soda & salt. Stir to moisten.

4. Pour HALF of the batter into a greased 10" angel food tube pan.

5. Sprinkle HALF of the topping mix onto the batter in the pan.

6. Pour remainder of batter into the pan and cover with remainder of topping.

7. Bake about 45 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

LET STAND for 20 minutes before inverting onto a cake plate.

Wonderful flavour and great ingredients make a moist cake you'll be proud to serve family & friends. I have made it with and without the nuts; depends who I'm serving it too (some of my family is nuttier then others!)

An angel food tube pan is preferred for this recipe, however it is possible to use a 9x13" greased pan.

Banana Bread

This family favourite is easy and very tasty. Freezes well (great to make on rainy days for when you have to be inside and save some for a picnic on a sunny day!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups mashed banana

1 3/4 cup flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/3 cup shortening (I used the Crisco in a blue box)

2/3 cup sugar (I don't use the sugar. I substitute 1 Tablespoon of honey per loaf being made)

2 eggs (or egg substitute)

1/2 cup chopped pitted dates (I use Thompson Seedless Raisins instead of the dates).

1. Cream sugar (or honey) and shortening.

2. Add bananas and eggs.

3. Sift dry ingredients into the mixture.

4. Add dates (or raisins).

5. Stir.

6. Pour into greased (I use parchment instead of greasing the pans).

7. Bake for about 1 hour.

Signs of done: prick the center with a sharp knife and remove quickly~ no batter on the knife means it's done. The loaf should sound 'hollow' when tapped on the top (batter in the dough is dense and won't give you the same hollow sound). If the bread centre is not done, but the upper crust is baking too fast~ use some aluminum foil to lightly cover over the loafs which they finish baking.

Bread freezes very well. Batch is best made in no larger than a triple batch at a time (it gets heavy and hard to stir when it's more than 3 loaves).

Try the banana bread toasted!

Add other dried fruits (apricots, cranberries, etc.) for a new twist on an old favourite.

Serve warm with butter.

TIP: Banana's which are turning brown/black really quickly can be frozen for this recipe. To make it easier on your hands (instead of handling frozen or thawed mushy bananas); freeze your mashed bananas in baggies which are pre measured for the appropriate quantity per recipe.

TIP: Mash the banana's with a potato masher or fork. Leave a few chunks of banana to add flavour to your bread.

TIP: Using honey (I use 1 Tablespoon per loaf (2-3 Tbsp for a triple batch!) so that we reduce refined sugar in our diet and to taste the banana bread flavour more than "sugar" in the finished bread).

TRIPLE BATCH MEASUREMENTS: Banana Bread

This family favourite is easy and very tasty. Freezes well (great to make on rainy days for when you have to be inside and save some for a picnic on a sunny day!)

TRIPLE BATCH...make more in about the same amount of time and with only getting the baking done once! (one mess, triple the amount!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

4 1/2 cups mashed banana

5 1/4 cup flour

6 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup shortening (I used the Crisco in a blue box)

1 Tbsp honey (per loaf if you like, but I sometimes use 1 Tbsp for 3 loaves!!)

6 eggs (or egg substitute)

3/4 cup chopped pitted dates (I use Thompson Seedless Raisins instead of the dates).

1. Cream sugar (or honey) and shortening.

2. Add bananas and eggs.

3. Sift dry ingredients into the mixture.

4. Add dates (or raisins).

5. Stir.

6. Pour into greased (I use parchment instead of greasing the pans).

7. Bake for about 1 hour.

Signs of done: prick the center with a sharp knife and remove quickly~ no batter on the knife means it's done. The loaf should sound 'hollow' when tapped on the top (batter in the dough is dense and won't give you the same hollow sound). If the bread centre is not done, but the upper crust is baking too fast~ use some aluminum foil to lightly cover over the loafs which they finish baking.

Bread freezes very well. Batch is best made in no larger than a triple batch at a time (it gets heavy and hard to stir when it's more than 3 loaves).