Caramel Dip for Apples

8 oz cream cheese
1/2-3/4 c. brown sugar
1 tbsp vanilla

Blend together and enjoy.

Apple Pie Snacks

Graham Crackers light cream cheese 2 apples 1 teaspoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon brown sugar. We chopped our apples into tiny pieces and placed in a bowl. Then sprinkled the sugars and cinnamon over the apples. Microwaved the apples for 1 minute. Took them our and stirred it. Put it back in for 1 more minute. Then we scooped our chopped/cooked apples onto a graham cracker with cream cheese spread on top. We then added a tiny bit of caramel and chocolate, but that is totally optional! Recipe From: Super Healthy Kids

Raspberry Salad Dessert

1 box raspberry danish dessert
16 oz (2 cups-ish) frozen raspberries
16 oz container of cool whip, thawed
20 oz can crushed pineapple, drained (save juice)
1 can sweetened condensed milk

Combine pineapple juice and water to make 1 3/4 c liquid. Cook danish dessert with 1 3/4 c liquid according to package directions. Cool. Whip in condensed milk. Fold in fruit and cool whip.

Tastes Like Gold Smoothie

1 cup of carrots
3/4 cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup orange juice
1 TBL honey
1/2 cup plain or vanilla yogurt
ice cubes

First I softened the carrots in the microwave for about 4 minutes. Then I put them in the blender first and puréed them.

Really puree the carrots for a long long time, until it is not pulpy at all. Use some of the pineapple juice to make it smooth. Then finish with the rest of the ingredients.

Strawberry Lemonade Bars

Crust
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups flour

In a large bowl, cream together butter, sugar & salt until light & fluffy. Add flour & mix until just combined. Line a 9×13 pan with parchment paper that hangs over the long sides. Spray parchment paper & sides with non-stick cooking spray. Press crust into the bottom of pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until just starting to turn golden.

Lemon Curd Layer
8 egg yolks
2 cans sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cups fresh lemon juice

In a medium bowl whisk together all ingredients & pour over hot crust. Return to oven & cook for an additional 25-30 minutes. Chill in the fridge while making the next layer.

Lemon Cream Layer
2 8 oz. packages cream cheese, softened
1 can sweetened condensed milk
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 lemon zest, grated
1 pint (about 25 whole) strawberries, hulled & sliced

In a medium bowl, whip together all ingredients until thick & fluffy. Spread over cooled lemon curd layer. Arrange the sliced strawberries over the top of the cream layer. Place in the fridge to chill while making strawberry glaze.

Strawberry Glaze
1 pint strawberries, pureed in blender or food processor
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
3 TBSP corn starch

In a medium pot, over medium heat, combine strawberries & water. In a small bowl, combine sugar & corn starch. Whisk sugar into strawberry mixture. Bring just to a boil, whisking constantly. Spread over sliced strawberries. Return to fridge to chill completely. Enjoy!

Disneyland Whipped Pineapple Treat

2 20 ounce cans Dole crushed pineapple with juice
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/3 cup sugar
1 and 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream, whipped

Drain pineapple; reserve 2 tablespoons juice. Set aside.

Place pineapple, lemon juice, lime juice, sugar and reserved pineapple juice in blender or food processor container; cover and blend until smooth.

Pour into two 1-quart freezer zipped bags and store bags flat in freezer. Freeze 1-1/2 hours or until slushy.

Stir pineapple slush gently into whipped cream until slightly blended, in large bowl. Return to freezer until completely frozen, about 1 hour and serve.

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars with Streusel Topping

Base:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

Cream Cheese Layer:
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Apples:
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Streusel Topping:
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

1 cup caramel sauce (homemade recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small bowl, stir together chopped apples, two tablespoons sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine all the streusel topping ingredients and mix until crumbly. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine flour and brown sugar. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or two forks until mixture is crumbly but combined. Press evenly into a 9X13-inch baking pan lined with aluminum foil. Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

While the crust is baking, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese with 1/2 cup sugar until smooth. Then add eggs, one at a time and then the vanilla. Mix well. Pour over the warm crust.

Spoon the apple mixture evenly over the cheesecake layer. Sprinkle the streusel topping over the apples. Bake for 30 minutes until the filling is set.

Cool the bars to room temperature. Drizzle with the caramel topping (or plate individual slices and drizzle with topping one by one).

Caramel Sauce:
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
½ cups half-and-half or cream
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon vanilla

Mix butter, brown sugar, half-and-half or cream, and salt in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook while whisking gently for 5 to 7 minutes, until thickened slightly. Add the vanilla and cook another minute to thicken further. Turn off the heat and pour the sauce into a jar. Refrigerate until cold. If the caramel sauce has cooled in the fridge long enough to harden, warm slightly before drizzling on bars.

Recipe From: My Kitchen Cafe

Inside Out Apple Crisp Recipe

1 large granny smith apple
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon butter (diced)*
1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 cup granola
pinch of salt
2 teaspoons butter
agave or honey for drizzling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel the apple half way from the top down and core it being careful not to poke a whole in the bottom of the apple . In a small bowl mix together flour, butter, brown sugar and granola. Place a teaspoon of butter into the apple. Stuff the apple with the granola mixture until it is over stuffed. Place another teaspoon of butter on top and put the apple in a baking dish filled with about a 1/4-inch of water. Bake until top is golden brown and apple is tender, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and drizzle with agave or honey. Serve warm.

Recipe From: Cooking With My Kid

Strawberry Lemonade Muffins

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
6 tbsp butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp lemon zest
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 cups finely chopped fresh strawberries

Preheat oven to 375F. Line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in lemon zest, then blend in the eggs one at a time.

Stir in about 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Mix well, then add in vanilla extract and half of the lemon juice. Add another third of the flour, followed by the remaining juice and the remaining flour mix. Stir until just combined and no streaks of dry ingredients remain. Mix in finely chopped strawberries quickly, just to distribute them evenly into the batter.

Spoon batter out into prepared muffin cups. The muffin cups should be very full.

Bake for 15-17 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, or with only a few moist crumbs attached.

Turn muffins out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 12 muffins

Recipe From: Baking Bites

Baby Blueberry Pies

Pastry for a single crust pie

Filling:
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. cornstarch
2 cups fresh blueberries
1 Tbsp. lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 400F. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out about 1/4″ thick and cut into 3″ rounds with a cookie cutter or glass rim; press into each of 12 muffin cups.

In a medium bowl, stir together the sugar and cornstarch to get rid of any lumps; add the berries and lemon juice and toss to coat. Fill shells. Bake until crusts are golden and filling is bubbly, about 25 minutes. Run a thin knife around the edge of each tart and remove while still warm; if they cool completely, any overflowing goo will cool and stick to the pan.

Makes 12 pies.

Recipe From: Dinner With Julie

Fresh Strawberry Lemonade

1 1/2 cup strawberries (hulled + halved)
1/4 cup agave nectar
2 1/2 cups fresh water
juice of 2 large lemons
extra strawberries for garnish

Blend strawberries, lemon juice and agave on high until quite smooth. Pour into a pitcher and add water. Whisk to combine and refrigerate until well chilled. Serve over ice and garnish each glass with a strawberry. Makes approximately 6 8 oz glasses. Note: Using only two lemons gives it that tart lemony flavor without having to add tons of sweetener. To get the most juice out of your lemon, put it in the microwave for 10 seconds before squeezing. If you want it more lemony, add the juice of 2 additional lemons (4 total) and another 1/4 cup of agave (1/2 cup total) to the blender before adding water.

Recipe From: Cooking with my kid

Easy Fruit Dip

8 oz cream cheese, softened
smidge of milk
jar of marshmallow cream

I typically use the hand mixer and beat the cream cheese with a little bit of milk until it is smooth. Then I beat in the marshmallow cream. The end.

Dump Cake

Anyone else have any other dump cake recipes to share? This is the only one I know, but I'm sure there are other variations out there.

1 can cherry pie filling
1 can crushed pineapple, drained
1 pkg yellow cake mix
1/2 c. butter or margarine

Heat oven to 350. Spread pie filling and pineapple in ungreased 9X13 pan. Stir dry cake mix and butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over fruit. Bake 35-40 minutes until light brown.

Banana Bread Bars

1 1/2 c. sugar
1 c. sour cream
1/2 c. butter or margarine
2 eggs
1 1/2 c. mashed bananas, about 3 large
2 tsp. vanilla
2 c. flour
1/2 c. chopped nuts, but I never include them
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda

Heat oven to 375. Grease and flour jelly roll pan. Mix sugar, sour cream, butter, and eggs in large bowl at low speed. Beat in bananas and vanilla. Beat in flour, salt, and baking soda on medium speed. Stir in nuts. Or leave the nuts out if you're awesome. Spread in pan and bake until light brown, 20-25 minutes. Cool.

Frosting
1/4 c. margarine
2 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
3 tbl. milk
Heat margarine until delicate brown. Remove from stove and mix in powdered sugar. Beat in vanilla and milk until smooth. Spread on cooled bars.

Strawberry Delight Cake

1st layer
1 white cake mix

Prepare cake mix according to package directions and spread into large cookie sheet. Bake for 20 minutes.

2nd layer
1 pkg cream cheese, softened
3/4 c. powdered sugar
1 large pkg vanilla pudding
2 1/2 c. milk

Mix  together and spread over cooled cake. Put in fridge.

3rd layer
1 pkg Danish Dessert (raspberry or strawberry)
1 1/2 c. water
frozen raspberries or strawberries

Cook Danish Dessert according to package directions. Mix in berries and spread on top of vanilla layer.

Keep stored in fridge.

Recipe from: Someone at Cherry Creek Elementary

Blackberry Lime Cheesecake

Not So Humble Lime Shortbread Crust
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
9 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 teaspoons lime zest

In a food processor, combine the starch, flour, sugar, salt and butter and pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Pulse in the zest, if using and then pour into a 10" springfrom pan.

Press the crumbs into an even layer at the bottom of the pan and half way up the sides to form the crust. Place in the freezer and then preheat your oven to 350°F with a rack in the lower third of the oven.

When the oven is hot pull the crust out of the freezer and bake for 15 minutes. Allow to cool on a wire rack.

Not So Humble Blackberry Lime Cheesecake
32 ounces cream cheese (at room temperature)
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1/2 cup sour cream (at room temperature
4 large eggs (at room temperature)
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 teaspoons lime zest

2 cups blackberries
simple syrup
splash lemon juice

boiling water

Preheat your oven to 350°F with a rack set in the lower third of your oven.

Start by making the blackberry sauce: In a food processor combine the blackberries with the splash of lemon juice and enough simple syrup to make a slightly thick slurry. Strain the mixture and collect the juices (this is optional, sometimes I use the whole fruit) and set aside, discarding the remaining solids.

To make the cheesecake, beat the cream cheese for roughly 4 minutes on medium speed until smooth in your stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Slowly pour the sugar into the cream cheese scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla, lime zest and sour cream. Sift the flour into the mixture. Reduce your mixer's speed to low and add the eggs one at a time, mixing until each one is just incorporated taking care not to over beat the mixture.

Pour the mixture into the pan with the crust. Pour the blackberry mixture into a plastic sandwich bag and cut off enough of the corner to pipe a 1/4" - 1/2" ribbon of sauce. Pipe parallel lines of the mixture across the top of the cheesecake. Using a skewer or toothpick, drag it through the batter perpendicular to the lines in a zig zag to create the marbling effect. You can also just swirl the toothpick for a more abstract design.

Set the cheesecake on to two large sheets of aluminum foil and smooth them up the sides of the pan, making it water tight. Set the cake into a deep roasting pan and place in the oven. Carefully pour boiling water into the roasting pan. About an inch of water works fine, but don't pour above the lowest edge of your foil. (Note: If you're making mini cheesecakes, skip the water bath. Simply place a rack in the lowest part of your oven--below the cheesecakes--and set a pan of boiling water onto it. This will keep the humidity in your oven high and help keep the heat gentle.)

Bake for approximately 60-70 minutes until cake is set but center is still slightly wobbly. Turn off the heat and allow to cool in the oven with the door ajar for roughly 20 minutes. Carefully remove the roasting pan from the oven and set the cheesecake onto a wire rack to cool. Once the cake is room temperature chill for a minimum of 4 hours, ideally overnight.

Recipe From: Not So Humble Pie

Berry Oatmeal Crumble Bars

Filling
3 cups fresh or frozen berries (I used 2 c blueberries, 1 c strawberries)
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp cornstarch

Crumble and Crust
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups rolled oats (quick-cooking or regular)
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened and cut into 7-9 large chunks
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tsp vanilla extract

Filling: In a medium saucepan, stir together berries and lemon juice and cook medium heat until fruit is tender, about 8-15 minutes, depending on type of berries being used (strawberries take longer than other berries, usually).

In a small bowl, whisk together sugar and cornstarch, then stir into fruit mixture. Continue cooking until mixture comes to a boil. Boil for 1-2 minutes, until thick. Scrape berry filling into a medium bowl and set aside.

Crust: Preheat oven to 350 and lightly grease a 9×13″ baking pan.

In a food processor (or large mixing bowl), combine flour, oats, brown sugar, butter, baking soda , salt and vanilla extract. Pulse until mixture is thoroughly blended and resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside 1 1/2 cups of this mixture in a medium bowl. Pour remaining crumb mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking dish, spread evenly and pat down. Place filling in dollops over crust and carefully spread to cover entire surface. Squeeze reserved crumb mixture into large clumps with your fingers and sprinkle evenly over the top of the fruit filling.

Bake until golden brown, about 30 to 35 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

Cut into 20 bars to serve.

Recipe from: Baking Bites

Sweet Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Chips

1. Choose Your Fruit
I choose fruit based on it's color. I love having something in just about every color of the rainbow! So here's some options:

Red: Strawberries hold up really well, they're usually inexpensive, and everyone loves strawberries. But watermelon, raspberries or pomegranate seeds would be fun too.

Orange: Mangos, peaches, nectarines, or orange segments would work.

Yellow: Pineapple! Fresh is best, but in a pinch open up a can. I guess nectarines and peaches can also be yellow.

Green: LOVE the bright color and great texture of Kiwi in fruit salsa. There's always honeydew too.

Blue/Purple: I go with price on this one. Blueberries or blackberries, whichever is cheaper!

2. Choose Your Sweetener

Honey: I love the flavor of honey with fruit. I usually add a little no matter what.

Powdered Sugar: It dissolves fast and gives a light sweetness.

Brown Sugar: Takes longer to dissolve but adds an interesting flavor. Much deeper flavor than white sugar.

Granulated Sugar: What I use the most. It tastes good and makes a nice syrup with the fruit juices.

3. Choose Your Extras
You don't want to do all of these together- pick and choose!

Lime Juice: I always add lime juice. Just a few big squeezes. The fruit will give off a lot of juice so you don't want to add too much additional liquid, but a few squeezes of tangy lime juice adds a great flavor and makes it nice and tropical tasting.

Cinnamon: A few dashes of cinnamon goes great with the cinnamon chips.

Coconut: Shredded coconut is especially yummy when you have tropical fruits like pineapple and mango in your salsa. Sprinkle some on top or stir it in, but either way do it just before serving or it will get all soggy.

Toasted Coconut: If you're taking this to a party, then add some toasted coconut on top for great presentation. People will go wild over it!

Ginger: A little fresh ginger would be great. A little will go a long way. P.S. ginger + coconut = yum.

Cinnamon Chips

Flour Tortillas (I like the little 6" ones)
Melted Butter
Cinnamon Sugar

Preheat oven to 350.

Lightly brush one side of each tortilla with melted butter.

Then sprinkle on some cinnamon sugar. A little or a lot. Use a pizza cutter to cut those tortillas into wedges.

Place them on an ungreased baking sheet (sugar side up) and bake them in the oven for about 10-12 minutes. You'll see them crisp up. Watch for the edges to turn up.

Remove from oven and let cool.

Recipe from: Our Best Bites

Tangy Poppy Seed Fruit Salad

1 (20 ounce) can pineapple chunks - drained with juice reserved
1 orange, peeled and segmented
1 kiwi—peeled, halved and sliced
1 cup seedless grapes
1 cup quartered strawberries
1/4 teaspoon grated lime zest
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon poppy seeds

In a large bowl, toss pineapple, orange, kiwi, grapes and strawberries. In a small cup or bowl, combine lime zest, lime juice, honey, poppy seeds and 1/4 cup reserved pineapple juice. Stir well and toss with fruit.

I put more kiwi and strawberries in, and I also cut up the orange a bit. It was awesome! Yum!

Recipe from: Allrecipes


Here's another version I came across...

1 (20 oz.) can pineapple chunks, drained well
1 can mandarin oranges, drained well
2-3 ripe kiwi, peeled and sliced into thick half moons
1 cup green grapes, halved
1 cup strawberries, quartered
Zest from one lime, about 1 tablespoon
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon poppy seeds (optional)

Combine the fruit in a medium-large serving bowl. Add the lime zest and poppy seeds, if using, and gently toss. Drizzle the honey over the fruit and again, gently mix until the fruit is evenly coated with the honey. Serve.