Garfield...Recipes with Cattitude! Cookbook (Everyday Cookbook Collection) (30 page)

Just Peachy Blueberry Crisp

This summery dessert practically makes itself…it’s hard to mess up! Enjoy it year ’round by using frozen peaches and blueberries, but let them thaw first.

3 c. peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced

1/2 c. blueberries

2 t. cinnamon-sugar

1 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. brown sugar, packed

1/2 c. butter, softened

3/4 c. long-cooking oats, uncooked

Arrange peaches and blueberries in a buttered 8"x8" baking pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar; toss gently to coat. In a bowl, combine flour and brown sugar; cut in butter and oats with a fork until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle mixture evenly over fruit. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes, until topping is crisp and golden. Serve warm. Serves 6 to 8.

Ovens can vary, so set a kitchen timer when the pan goes into the oven. Check for doneness after the shortest baking time given…if a little more time is needed, be sure to watch carefully.

No-Bake Lemon Icebox Pie

Creamy and refreshing! Dress it up with twists of lemon peel.

1-1/2 c. vanilla wafers, finely crushed

1/4 to 1/2 c. butter, melted

14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 c. lemon juice

Optional: several drops yellow food coloring

1 c. whipping cream

Stir together vanilla wafer crumbs and butter. Press firmly into an ungreased 9" pie plate; chill for 15 to 20 minutes. In a bowl, stir together condensed milk, lemon juice and food coloring, if using. In a deep bowl, whip cream with an electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. Fold whipped cream into condensed milk mixture; spoon into chilled crust. Cover and chill for 3 hours, or until set. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Turn No-Bake Lemon Icebox Pie into a Margarita Pie! Use crushed pretzels instead of vanilla wafers for the crust, adding 1/4 cup sugar to the crumb mixture. In the filling, use lime juice instead of lemon juice with a bit of green food coloring.

No-Bake Banana Cream Pie

This old-fashioned dessert never fails to delight. Soft ripe bananas are perfect.

1 c. milk

3.4-oz. pkg. instant vanilla pudding mix

1/2 t. vanilla extract

12-oz. container frozen whipped topping, thawed and divided

9-inch graham cracker crust

4 bananas, sliced

Combine milk and dry pudding mix in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 2 minutes; beat in vanilla. Use a spoon to fold in 3 cups whipped topping. Spread one cup of pudding mixture in crust; layer with half of bananas. Repeat layers, ending with remaining pudding. Spread with remaining whipped topping. Cover and chill for 2 hours. Makes 8 servings.

Make a good thing even better…sprinkle your No-Bake Banana Cream Pie with toasted coconut. Spread shredded coconut on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 7 to 12 minutes, stirring frequently, until toasted and golden.

Walnut Crunch Pumpkin Pie

A pie you can be thankful for on Thanksgiving!

9-inch pie crust

15-oz. can pumpkin

12-oz. can evaporated milk

2 eggs, beaten

3/4 c. brown sugar, packed

1/2 t. salt

1-1/2 t. cinnamon

1/2 t. nutmeg

1/2 t. ground ginger

Garnish: whipped cream

Place pie crust in a 9" pie plate; set aside. In a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients except garnish. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for one minute. Set pie plate on oven rack; pour in pumpkin mixture. Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes, or until a knife tip inserted one inch from the edge tests clean. Remove pie from oven; sprinkle evenly with Walnut Topping. Turn oven to broil; place pie about 6 inches below broiler. Broil for 3 minutes, or until topping is golden and sugar is melted. Cool pie on a wire rack. Garnish with whipped cream. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Walnut Topping:

1 c. chopped walnuts

3/4 c. brown sugar, packed

1/4 c. butter, melted

Mix ingredients well in a small bowl.

Need to chop nuts in a hurry? Place them in a plastic zipping bag and roll with a rolling pin or even a heavy food can…so easy!

Sour Cream Apple Pie

With its buttery, sugary crumb topping, this delectable dessert is easy as pie to make…hard to resist!

9-inch pie crust

2 c. Rome apples, peeled, cored and diced

1/2 c. sugar

2 T. all-purpose flour

1/4 t. salt

8-oz. container sour cream

1 egg, beaten

1-1/2 t. vanilla extract

Place pie crust in a 9" pie plate; add apples to crust and set aside. In a bowl, mix together sugar, flour and salt; stir in remaining ingredients. Beat until smooth; spoon over apples. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Bake for an additional 30 minutes, or until bubbly and apples are tender. Cover crust with strips of aluminum foil if crust is browning too fast. Sprinkle Crumbly Topping over pie. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, or until topping is golden. Makes 8 servings.

Crumbly Topping:

1/4 c. butter, softened

1/3 c. all-purpose flour

1/3 c. sugar

1/2 t. cinnamon

In a small bowl, mix ingredients with a fork until crumbly.

If dessert is a flop, layer it with whipped cream in a parfait glass and give it a fancy name. Nobody will know the difference!

Country Cheesecake Bars

According to Garfield, dieting is a sickness…and cheesecake is the cure! Top each bar with a spoonful of cherry pie filling for an extra-special treat.

2/3 c. butter, softened

1 c. brown sugar, packed

2 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. chopped nuts

8-oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened

1 c. sugar

1/4 c. milk

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 t. lemon zest

4 t. lemon juice

1 t. vanilla extract

In a bowl, mix butter, brown sugar, flour and nuts until crumbly. Set aside 2 cups of mixture for topping. Press remaining mixture into the bottom of a greased 13"x9" baking pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 15 minutes; cool. In a separate bowl, blend together remaining ingredients; pour into baked crust. Sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture. Bake for an additional 25 minutes, until set and topping is golden. Cover and refrigerate for about one hour; cut into bars. Makes 2 to 3 dozen.

Place Country Cheesecake Bars in ruffled paper muffin liners and set on a platter…so easy for everyone to serve themselves!

Classic Cherry Trifle

Yummy and super-easy to make ahead for a party!

8-oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened

3/4 c. powdered sugar

1/2 c. milk

1/3 t. vanilla extract

12-oz. container frozen whipped topping, thawed

1 angel food cake, cut into cubes and divided

2 21-oz. cans cherry pie filling

Blend together cream cheese, sugar, milk and vanilla in a bowl until smooth. Gently fold in whipped topping; set aside. In a large glass bowl, layer half of cake cubes, half of cream cheese mixture and one can pie filling. Repeat layers, ending with pie filling. Cover and refrigerate 3 to 4 hours before serving. Serves 10 to 12.