Fresh Cherry Cobbler

https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/sweet_cherry_cobbler/
This is great with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.  I adjusted the recipe to make the topping almond flavored.

INGREDIENTS

For the filling:

• 2 1/2 pounds pitted fresh or frozen sweet cherries
• 1/2 cup (70 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch (use 1 1/2 tablespoons if using frozen cherries)
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

For the topping:

• 2 cups (250 grams)  all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 cup (35 grams) granulated sugar, plus additional for sprinkling over top
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter cut into small pieces
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract

Pavlova with Berries

• https://www.kroger.com/r/french-pavlova-with-strawberries-recipe/5e4446839da07c3705310c0a
• 
  
• 4 large egg whites, room temperature
• 1 cup + 4 Tbsp. sugar, divided
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 pound strawberries, quartered
• 1/4 cup strawberry jam
• 1 cup heavy cream

• Step 1
  Preheat oven to 250°F. On parchment paper, draw 9” circle. Place paper ink-side down on baking sheet.
• Step 2
  In bowl of stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whisk egg whites at high speed 1 minute, until frothy. Slowly add 1 cup sugar; continue whisking until meringue reaches glossy, stiff peaks, about 3 minutes. Using rubber spatula, fold in vinegar, cornstarch and vanilla.
• Step 3
  In center of parchment circle, mound meringue; use spatula to evenly spread out toward edges, forming large disk.
• Step 4
  Bake 90 minutes. Turn oven off; allow meringue to cool completely in oven, about 1 hour.
• Step 5
  Meanwhile, in bowl, combine strawberries, jam and 2 tablespoons sugar. In separate bowl, whip heavy cream with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar until firm peaks form.
• Step 6
  Gently transfer cooled meringue to serving plate; top with whipped cream and strawberries.

Lemon Raspberry Cheesecake Bars

https://www.myfoodandfamily.com/recipe/207145/raspberry-lemon-cheesecake-bars

2 cups graham cracker crumbs

 

1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. sugar, divided

 

6 Tbsp. butter, melted

 

3 cups (12 oz.) raspberries, divided

 

1 Tbsp. each zest and juice from 1 lemon

 

4 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

 

4 eggs

Heat oven to 325ºF.

2

Line 13x9-inch pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides. Combine graham crumbs, 2 Tbsp. sugar and butter; press onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake 10 min.

3

Reserve 1/2 cup raspberries and 1 tsp. lemon zest for later use.

4

Beat cream cheese, lemon juice, remaining zest and remaining sugar in large bowl with mixer until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Gently stir in remaining raspberries; pour over crust.

5

Bake 35 to 40 min. or until center is almost set. Cool completely.

6

Refrigerate 4 hours. Top with reserved raspberries and lemon zest. Use foil handles to remove cheesecake from pan before cutting into bars.

Chai Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

https://www.mymagazine.us/mm/#/recipes/1907/201/chaispiced-pumpkin-cheesecake-bars

Ingredients

CRUST

• 13chocolate or regular graham crackers, crumbled
• 2Tbsp. sugar
• 8Tbsp. (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

FILLING

• 16oz. cream cheese, softened
• ¾cup sugar
• ¼tsp. salt
• 2eggs
• ¼tsp. vanilla extract
• 1cup pumpkin purée
• ¾tsp. cardamom
• ½tsp. cinnamon
• ¼tsp. allspice
• Chocolate curls (optional)
• Whipped topping (optional)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F with a rack in the middle position. Line 9x13-inch baking dish with aluminum foil (leaving enough overhang over the rim of the dish to remove the bars). Coat with nonstick cooking spray. 
  In bowl of food processor, combine graham crackers with sugar until fine crumbs form, about 30 seconds. Add butter, and process until crumbs are evenly moistened. Using the bottom of measuring cup or drinking glass, firmly press crumbs into prepared baking pan in tight, even layer. Bake 12 minutes. Let cool.
  In bowl of stand mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth, about 30 seconds, scraping bowl halfway though. Add sugar and salt, then beat until well combined, another 30 seconds. Scrape bowl, reduce speed to medium and add eggs one at a time, beating until just incorporated. 
  Add vanilla, pumpkin, cardamom, cinnamon and allspice, and beat on low until smooth. Pour filling over crust; gently smooth the top. Bake until edges are firm but the middle wobbles when shaken, about 20 minutes. Let cool on rack, then refrigerate until well chilled, at least 4 hours but ideally overnight. Pull up the foil sling to carefully remove cheesecake from baking dish. Slice into 24 squares. Serve, topped with chocolate curls and whipped topping, if desired. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Reindeer Chow

https://www.mymagazine.us/mm/#/recipes/1907/421/reindeer-chow
The kids like this with caramel M&Ms and crunchy PB

Ingredients

• 1cup semisweet chocolate chips
• ⅔cup creamy peanut butter
• ¼cup unsalted butter
• 1tsp. vanilla extract
• ½tsp. salt
• 1box (12 oz.) rice or corn squares cereal
• 4cups tiny pretzel twists, divided
• 2cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1bag (10.7 oz.) red and green milk chocolate candies

Instructions

• In medium saucepan over medium-low heat, combine chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter until melted. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla and salt.
  In large stockpot with fitted lid, combine cereal and 2 cups pretzels. Pour chocolate mixture overtop and gently stir to coat. Add confectioners’ sugar, put lid on pot, and turn upside-down a few times to combine. 
  Add remaining 2 cups pretzels and chocolate candies to pot; turn updside-down a few more times to combine. Serve immediately, storing leftovers in an airtight container.

Blondies

https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/blondies/

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup (1 stick, 112 g) of butter, melted
• 1 cup (220 g) of tightly packed dark brown sugar
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon of baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup (128 g)  of all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup (60 g) of butterscotch chips (chopped walnuts and chocolate chips are equally tasty)

METHOD

1 Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly butter and flour an 8X8-inch  pan (20 cm x 20 cm). Whisk together the melted butter and sugar in a bowl.

2 Add the egg and vanilla extract and whisk.

3 Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, mix it all together. Add the butterscotch chips or other mix-ins.

4 Pour into the pan and spread evenly. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool. Cut into squares or rectangles and serve.

Glazed Fruit Tart

Fred Meyer Magazine

Crust:
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1/2 tsp almond extract

Filling:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
zest of 1 lemon

Topping:
a medley of fruit (raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, sliced strawberries, kiwis, peaches, etc)
2 Tbs fruit preserves (apricot, cherry, strawberry, etc)
1 Tbs water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Pulse the crust ingredients together in a food processor until they form a dough ball.  Press the dough out into a 12 inch pie pan and back for 10-12 minutes or until light golden brown.  Allow to cool completely

To make the filling, beat the ingredients together in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy.  Spread into the cooled pie crust and arrange fruit over the top.

To make the glaze, add preserves and water to a small bowl.  Microwave for 30 seconds and mix together.  Allow to cool then brush over fruit.

Blueberry Lime Cake (or Cupcakes)

 based on this recipe for Blackberry Lime Cupcakes
https://cookienameddesire.com/blackberry-lime-cupcakes-with-lime-frosting/

Ingredients

For blueberry jam

• 1 cup blueberries
• 1/3 cups sugar
• juice of 1 lime

For Cupcakes

• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• zest of 3 limes
• 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• ½ cup buttermilk, room temperature

For Frosting

• 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup blueberry jam
• 1 cup fresh blueberries for decorating top of cake (if desired)

Instructions

Make the Jam

1. Mix the blueberries and sugar together in a small saucepan and heat on medium-high until the berries break down and the juiced become thick and syrupy. Set aside to cool.

Make the Cupcakes

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 13x9 pan with cooking spray or Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners (makes 12 cupcakes).
2. Mix together the flour, baking powder, lime zest, and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside.
3. In a mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Beat in extract and the eggs one at a time, mixing well between each egg and beating for one additional minute after the last egg.
5. Alternate between adding the flour and the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix until just combined.
6. Evenly distribute the batter in the cake pan or among the cupcake liners. Spoon a heaping half cup of  jam over the cake batter (or heaping teaspoon of jam over the cupcake batter) and swirl in using a skewer or knife.
7. Bake for about 35 minutes (17 - 20 minutes for cupcakes), or until a light golden brown and the tops spring back when gently pressed upon. Take out the oven and allow to cool completely.

Make the Frosting.

1. Beat the butter until smooth and cream. Beat in the powdered sugar one cup at a time. Mix in the jam and beat well. 

Assembly

1. Spread frosting over cake & sprinkle with fresh blueberries if desired.  For cupcakes, fit a piping bag with a large open star tip and fill with the frosting. Frost each cupcake.  Top with a few fresh blueberries if desired. 
2. Cupcakes make last up to five days in refrigerator.

Fruit Cobbler

http://markbittman.com/blueberry-cobbler/

4 to 6 cups blueberries or other fruit, washed and well dried, peeled and sliced as necessary

2 Tbs flour

1 cup sugar, or to taste
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into bits, plus some for the pan
1 /2 cup all-purpose flour
1 /2 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch salt
1 egg
1 /2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Sprinkle of brown sugar

1. Heat the oven to 375°F. Toss the fruit with half the sugar and spread it in a lightly greased 8-inch square or 9-inch round baking pan.

2. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a food processor and pulse once or twice. Add the butter and process for 10 seconds, until the mixture is well blended. By hand, beat in the egg and vanilla.

3. Drop this mixture onto the fruit by tablespoon-fuls; do not spread it out. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake until golden yellow and just starting to brown, 35 to 45 minutes. Serve immediately.

Easy Popcorn Balls

1 stick of  butter
1 bag (16 oz) marshmallows
1 envelope of Kool-Aid or 1 tsp of vanilla (optional)

1 1/2 cups popcorn kernels
mix-ins of choice (M&Ms, peanuts, Skittles, sprinkles, chocolate chips, cinnamon and sugar, etc)

Melt butter in large saucepan on stove top (or in a large bowl in microwave)  Add marshmallows and Kool-Aid or vanilla if using and stir until marshmallows are melted

Meanwhile, pop popcorn (I use our airpopper, but microwave or Whirly-Pop works too)  Pour into a large baking pan coated with nonstick spray.

Pour marshmallow mixture over popcorn, add mix-ins of choice.  Stir with a spray coated spatula.

Form into popcorn balls with spray coated hands and place onto waxed paper.

Valentine's Hand Pies

http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/desserts/raspberry-heart-shaped-hand-pies/

This isn't so much a recipe as an idea I really loved.  I think it would be easiest to use premade pie crusts and cut them and fill them with the kids' choice (PB&J or banana, nutella, cinnamon & sugar, jam, etc)  But if I were ever feeling really motivated, here's the whole recipe:

• 2 sticks Unsalted Butter, Chilled And Cut Into 1" Pieces
• 2-¼ cups All-purpose Flour
• 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
• ½ cups Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• ½ cups Ice Water
• ¾ cups Seedless Raspberry Jam (approximate)
• Powdered Sugar, For Dusting

Combine the butter, flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a food processor with a steel blade and pulse just until it resembles coarse crumbs. Slowly pour in the ice water through the feed tube and pulse just until combined and a dough ball forms. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Roll out the dough on a well floured surface and cut out an equal number of heart shapes. Re-roll the scraps to create more cut outs. If you’re using a large, 4″ cutter, add about an ounce of jam to the center of half the hearts. Use less jam for smaller heart shapes. Wet the edges of the heart with a bit of water water and place a second heart shape on top. Press down on the edges with the tines of a fork to seal.

Place the filled heart shapes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake in the preheated 350 F oven for 30 minutes or until the pastry is a light golden brown. Allow them to cool to room temperature and dust with powdered sugar. The number of hand pies you get will depend on the size cutter you use. My 4″ cutter yielded about a dozen finished pies

Nutella Krispie Treats

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2012/10/nutella-krispie-treats/

• 6 Tablespoons Salted Butter
• 10 ounces, weight Large Marshmallows
• 1/8 teaspoon Salt
• 1/3 cup Nutella
• 6 cups Rice Krispies
• 1-1/2 cup Miniature Marshmallows
• 1 cup Pecans, Finely Chopped
• 5 ounces, weight Semi Sweet Chocolate Melted

Preparation Instructions

Melt 4 tablespoons in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add marshmallows and salt and stir until melted. Halfway through the melting process, add Nutella. When Nutella and marshmallows are melted, add additional two tablespoons of butter and stir until smooth.

Meanwhile, melt semi-sweet chocolate over a double boiler until smooth. Remove from heat and let it cool quite a bit.

Add Rice Krispies to a large bowl and fold in the Nutella mixture. When it's almost all combined, add mini-marshmallows to the bowl, then continue folding until everything's combined.

Immediately press mixture into a thoroughly greased 9 x 13-inch pan. Sprinkle with half the pecans. Drizzle semi-sweet chocolate in zig-zags all over the top of the treats. Sprinkle the other half on top.

Allow to set, then cut into squares.

Easy Candy Squares

From the back of the butterscotch chips bag~quick, easy, and kid friendly
Would probably be good with any combo of chips or even heath bar chunks

1 12 oz bag (2 cups) of chocolate chips
1 11 oz bag (1 2/3 cups) butterscotch chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
9 cups mini marshmallows
1 cup dry roasted salted peanuts

Line a 13x9 inch baking pan with foil
Microwave chocolate and butterscotch chips and peanut butter in a large bowl at 70% power for 2 minutes
Stir (chips won't be completely melted but should blend together)
Cool for 1 minute then stir in marshmallows and peanuts
Spread into prepared pan and refrigerate until firm
Cut into small squares (makes 4 dozen)

Oooey Gooey Caramel Pumpkin Blondies

http://tastykitchen.com/blog/2011/10/ooey-gooey-caramel-pumpkin-blondies/

• FOR THE BLONDIES:
• ¾ cups Butter, Softened
• 1 cup Packed Brown Sugar
• 2 whole Eggs
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1 cup Pumpkin Puree
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
• ½ teaspoons Nutmeg
• 1-¾ cup All-purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• ¼ teaspoons Salt
• FOR THE FILLING:
• ½ cups Chopped Walnuts
• ¼ cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
• 14 ounces, weight Caramels, Unwrapped (1 Bag)
• ¼ cups Heavy Cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9×13 pan with non stick cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in eggs, vanilla and pumpkin until combined. Slowly incorporate the remaining ‘blondies’ ingredients into the batter. Scrape sides of bowl and mix again briefly to ensure a smooth batter. Spread about 2/3 of the batter evenly into the prepared pan.

For the filling: Sprinkle nuts and chocolate chips over top of the batter.

Place caramels and cream into a heat-proof bowl. Microwave on high until caramel is smooth and completely melted, being sure to stir every 20 seconds. Stop as soon as it’s melted and smooth.

Pour melted caramel over chocolate and nuts. Spread around evenly with a butter knife or spoon. Place dollops of the remaining batter over the top of the caramel layer. Spread those dollops out to try and get a smooth layer of batter over top. (It’s fine if some of the caramel layer is peeking through.)

Bake for 25 minutes or until edges are golden and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted. (It might come out with a little caramel on it which is fine. You don’t want batter on the toothpick.)

Cool completely before serving. Or be prepared to get a whole lot of oozing caramel if you serve it warm.