The Best Fall Dessert!!!

We went to an apple orchard this week and came home with 16 pounds of apples (the kids were in charge of picking)!!! So in my quest to find many ways to use such a large amount of apples, I searched through Allrecipes for the perfect apple crisp. I hate when there is way too much apples and not enough of the yummy crust! This recipe is fabulous!!!! It seriously is the best apple crisp I've ever had and I usually don't like apple crisp. I'll post the recipe with some of the variations that others have made since I thought it turned out so yummy. I like it served a little warm best.

1 1/2 C all-purpose flour
2 1/3 C rolled oats (I only had instant oats and it was still great)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 C packed brown sugar
1 1/2 C butter
3 quarts peeled, cored, sliced apples (I used 2 qts)

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, oatmeal, cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar. Cut butter into mixture until crumbly (I just used my hands).
3. Take half of the mixture and pat it into the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish.
4. Toss apples with cinnamon, sugar, and vanilla. This was a variation suggested by someone and so I just eyeballed how much I needed to add some flavor to the apples.
5. Cover crumb mixture with apple slices, then sprinkle apple slices with remaining crumb mixture.
6. Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes or until apples are tender.

Heavenly Cookies

I got this recipe off of allrecipes (obviously my favorite site). It was rated highly and I wasn't disappointed. They taste like homemade nutter butters...or like girl scout cookies (only better). They are awesome!

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup quick cooking oats
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
2 1/2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream (we used milk and it was fine)

DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, cream together 1/2 cup butter or margarine, 1/2 cup peanut butter, white sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla. Add egg and beat well.
In another bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add these dry ingredients to the creamed mixture. Stir. Add oatmeal and stir.

Drop by teaspoons onto greased baking sheet, and press each mound down with a fork to form 1/4 inch thick cookies. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 10 minutes, or until cookies are a light brown.

To Make Filling: Cream 3 tablespoons butter or margarine with the confectioners' sugar, 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter, and the cream. Spread filling onto half of the cooled cookies, then top with the other half to form sandwiches.

Yummy brownies

I got this recipe from the blog My Kitchen Cafe. We made these while Bret's parents were in town and they were really good. I wasn't so sure about them at first--but they tasted awesome after sitting in the fridge overnight. They're really good after being chilled thoroughly. So these would be a good one to make a day ahead. I even liked them after they were in our fridge for a week (a rarity for me).

German Chocolate Brownies
from The Lion House Entertaining Cookbook

1 German chocolate cake mix
2/3 cup butter (room temperature)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tub Coconut-pecan frosting (yes, the kind you find above the cake mixes at the store)
1/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9X13 pan. In a large bowl using a pastry blender, cut in butter with the cake mix until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press 1/2 the mixture (about 2 1/2 cups) into the prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes.

Sprinkle chocolate chips over hot crust. Drop frosting by tablespoonfuls over chocolate chips. Mix 1/4 cup of milk into the remaining cake mix/butter mixture. Stir to combine. Drop this batter by teaspoonfuls over the frosting. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Cool completely. Cut into squares and refrigerate until served. (These brownies really do taste best cool.)

Butter Cake

Ok, so this has to be one of my favorite desserts...soooo good, you won't be able to just eat one:) Enjoy!!

1 slightly beaten egg

1 package yellow cake mix (pudding in the mix type)

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 pound powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (325 if using a glass pan). Grease a 13 by 9 inch cake pan. Mix the lightly beaten egg with the dry cake mix and melted butter until you have a moist dough consistency. Press mixture evenly into pan. In a large bowl use electric mixer to beat cream cheese, remaining 3 eggs and vanilla until creamy. Gradually beat in powdered sugar until smooth (it takes a while). Pour batter over crust. Bake 35-40 minutes. Watch carefully so crust doesn't get too brown. The cheese mixture should sink into the center somewhat leaving a firmer crust around the edges. Cool & cut into squares and serve.

Crazy Cake

We found this recipe on allrecipes.com when we were craving chocolate cake one Sunday and were out of eggs. It was amazing! It was so moist and I seriously ate half the pan in one day....I would dare even say that it's the best homemade chocolate cake I've ever had. It tastes best if you make homemade frosting. We tried it again and had the storebought chocolate kind and it wasn't as good. I like to add the homemade frosting while the cake's still warm and eat it warm. Yum!

INGREDIENTS

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups cold water

DIRECTIONS
Sift flour, sugar, salt, soda, and cocoa together into a 9 x 13 inch ungreased cake pan. Make three wells. Pour oil into one well, vinegar into second, and vanilla into third well. Pour cold water over all, and stir well with fork.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 to 40 minutes, or until tooth pick inserted comes out clean. Frost with your favorite icing.

Brownie Trifle

1 box Brownie mix baked and cubed
8 oz softened cm cheese + ½ cup milk
1 lg chocolate pudding mixed with 1 ½ c. milk
3 heath bars crushed
1 sm. Cool whip

Mix cm cheese and milk until smooth, set aside
Mix pudding and then mix cm cheese mixture to that.

Layer in trifle dish:
Brownie, pudding, cool whip, crushed bars and then repeat 2-3 times. You will have to decide how many layers you want before so you can ration your portions to have enough.

Berry Trifle

1 white cake cubed ( I baked in large cookie sheet so cake is thin)
1 lg box vanilla pudding mixed with 1 ½ cup milk
8oz cream cheese mixed with ½ cup milk
Coconut
1 can berry pie filling (strawberry, raspberry, blackberry)
1 sm cool whip
Any fresh fruit

Mix pudding with milk set aside, then add cm cheese mixture to that
Layer:
Cake, fruit, pudding, cool whip, coconut 2-3 times

* You can do some fresh fruit. The one I have made is strawberry pie filling with fresh banana’s. Or if you can't find strawberry pie filling use danish desert and fresh strawberries. This is awesome!!!