by Zimmi Coker

Ingredients

1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1½ cups buttermilk
3 tablespoons melted butter or margarine – microwave and let cool to room temperature
1 large egg
Fresh blueberries, as desired

Preparation

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk, melted butter, and egg.

Next, stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just mixed. Be sure not to over-mix.

For best results, let mixture sit for 10 minutes, which makes the batter fluffier.

Then add a pat of butter on the griddle on medium heat. Pour your pancakes and immediately place blueberries on top!

Cook until golden brown and enjoy warm, family-style!

Makes 4-6 servings.

by Kyle Pickles

Ingredients

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature
1½ cups butter, room temperature, plus more for greasing the pan
3 cups granulated sugar
6 large eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for preparing the pan
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Preparation

Preheat oven to 325°F.

Lightly grease a Bundt pan with butter and dust with flour, tapping out any excess flour.

In a mixing bowl, cream together cream cheese, butter, and sugar. Add 2 eggs and 1 cup flour and mix well. Continue with adding 2 eggs and 1 cup flour, and mix; then add the remaining 2 eggs and 1 cup flour and mix. Finally, add the vanilla.

Pour ingredients into Bundt pan and bake for about 75 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. (Cooking times may vary depending on the temperature of your own oven).

Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes before inverting on a cooling rack to cool completely. The cake is great on its own – but feel free to serve with some macerated berries.

Variation: You can add some chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts work best) on the bottom of the Bundt pan before filling the batter.

by Claire Florian

Ingredients

¾ cup butter
1 ½ cups brown sugar
2 tablespoons water
2 cups semisweet
chocolate chips
2 eggs
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
3 (4.5-ounce)packages chocolate covered mint wafers, such as Andes mints

Preparation

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine butter, sugar, and water, stirring occasionally until melted. Remove from heat, stir in the chocolate chips until melted and set aside to cool for 10 minutes.

Pour the chocolate mixture into a large bowl, and beat in the eggs, one at a time. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring into the chocolate mixture. Cover and refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease cookie sheets. Roll cookie dough into walnut-sized balls and place 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.

Bake for 8-10 minutes. When cookies come out of the oven, press one mint wafer into the top of each cookie and let sit for 1 minute. For smaller cookies, break mints in half.

When the mint softens, use a toothpick or the back of a spoon to swirl the green filling for an extra flourish.

by Delia Brengel

Ingredients

½ cup butter, plus extra for greasing
2 cups sugar
1 (5-ounce) can evaporated milk
2 cups mini marshmallows
1 cup peanut butter chips
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with foil, extending foil over edges of the pan. Grease the foil with butter.

Place butter in a large microwaveable bowl. Melt butter in the microwave, about 45-60 seconds.

Add sugar and evaporated milk to bowl and stir. Heat in the microwave for about 3 minutes. Remove the bowl, stir, and return to microwave for another 2 minutes.

Remove the bowl, add marshmallows, peanut butter chips, and vanilla immediately. Stir to combine.

Quickly pour the mixture into the greased, foiled pan. To help set the fudge, let it chill in the fridge overnight.

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