Dairy Farmer's Dream Dessert

Thanks to Amanda's Cookin' recipe Pineapple Dream Dessert, I found the Cool Whip made with real cream! I was drawn to the recipe by the ingredients of butter and cream cheese, but finding this new version of Cool Whip made it a Dairy Farmer's Dream Dessert for me!



Pineapple Dream Dessert

Ingredients

Crust:
2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (2 sleeves)
1/2 cup unsalted butter

Layers:

2 cups powdered sugar,sifted
1/2 cup unsalted butter,softened
4 oz. cream cheese,softened
8 oz,  container Cool Whip
20 oz. can crushed pineapple,drained well

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 300 F.

Melt butter in the microwave and allow to cool. Combine the crumbs and butter and toss together until incorporated. Press 2 cups of the crumb mixture firmly into a 9x9 inch square pan and bake for 8-10 minutes. Place on wire rack to cool.

Beat the cream cheese and butter together until creamy. Turn the mixer down to low and add the powdered sugar one cup at a time until mixed.  Turn up and beat well for a minute or so. Add a heaping tablespoon of the drained pineapple and stir in with a rubber spatula. Spread the cream cheese and pineapple mixture over the crust.

Fold the remaining pineapple into the Cool Whip and spread on top of the cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle the remaining graham cracker crumb mixture on top. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.

Dairy Recipe Winner

If you're looking for a fun and delicious  party idea, this dairy recipe is it!  Natalie Lester of Williford,Arkansas (Sharp County) placed second in the Arkansas Farm Bureau Dairy Foods Contest with Strawberry Pecan Pretzel Parfaits.
Served in a small mason jar, tied with a pretty ribbon, it would be perfect for any party.

As we watched Natalie prepare this recipe, it is obvious that she mastered whipping cream. If you follow her recipe directions, you too can be successful!

Strawberry Pecan Pretzel Parfaits

Ingredients:

2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups pretzels,crushed
1 cup pecans,chopped
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 1/2 cups butter,melted
4 cups strawberries,diced
2 (8 oz.) cream cheese,softened
2 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

Whipped Cream: The most important step before you begin to make homemade whipped cream is to make sure everything is really cold. Place the beater and the bowl of the mixer in the freezer for about 15 minutes. Also place the heavy whipping cream, in the freezer at the same time. Place the cream, 1/4 cup granulated  sugar and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Turn the mixer on low at first. until all the ingredients are fully mixed. Then turn the mixer on medium speed. Medium speed is key to making the best homemade whipped cream. Whip the cream until almost stiff peaks form. The best way to tell if it is ready, is when the beaters are lifted out of the cream you can see little peaks that do not fall right away. If yo mix too much you will make butter. The best whipped cream is right before it gets to the butter stage.

For remainder of the dish: Mix together crushed pretzels, chopped pecans, brown sugar and melted butter. Spread on a large baking sheet with sides and bake at 400 degrees for 7 minutes. Allow the mixture to cool and then break it into small pieces. Beat together softened cream cheese,remainder of granulated sugar and vanilla. Fold in whipped cream mixture. Now layer in the jar as follows: pretzel mixture, strawberries, cream cheese mixture and sprinkle a little more of the pretzel mixture on top.

Mountain Blackberry Cobbler

A generous neighbor presented us with a gallon of blackberries late Friday night. It was a complete surprise and brought a flood of childhood memories of going to the blackberry patch down in the pasture  with my grandparents on hot,steamy July days.

When going to the blackberry patch,   I was always cautioned to watch for snakes but not one word of caution about those chiggers! It was well worth the discomfort for the reward of blackberry cobbler, dumplings or jelly that followed those picking experiences.

 I don't think I will ever match my grandmother's  blackberry cobbler, but Mountain Blackberry Cobbler comes pretty close. The recipe is found in the Junior League of Springfield,Missouri's cookbook, Sassafras!. 

Mountain Blackberry Cobbler

2 3/4 cups flour
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup shortening
Water

2 quarts fresh     
   blackberries,
   washed and drained 
1/4 cup butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. To prepare crust,mix 2 cups flour,1/4 cup sugar, salt and shortening with a fork until crumbly. Add enough water to make a soft dough. Divide dough into 2 parts with slightly more for bottom crust. On a heavily floured board, knead dough until smooth. Roll each portion of dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Arrange larger portion of dough on bottom of a greased 8x10-inch baking dish. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix 1 cup sugar and 3/4 cup flour with a fork. Pour berries into pastry-lined baking dish. Sprinkle flour and sugar mixture over berries; dot with butter. Place top crust over berries and crimp edges. Cut slits in decorative pattern in dough to release steam. Bake 1 hour. Serve warm. Serves 10 to 12.

                                                       
                     Serve with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Dressy Pumpkin Pie Celebrates Fall

If you're looking for a dressed up pumpkin pie for your fall celebrations, you'll love Autumn Pumpkin Pie! I started baking this pie in 1987  when I found the recipe in the October issue of Southern Living. In fact, the first time I baked it was for Thanksgiving dinner with my in-laws . It became part of my collection when my (best cook ever)  mother-in-law asked me for the recipe!

Autumn Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients:

2 eggs,slightly beaten
3 cups cooked,mashed pumpkin
1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 unbaked 10 inch  pastry shell

Topping: 
1/4 cup butter,melted
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Combine first 12 ingredients; blend well. Pour into pastry shell. Bake @ 400 degrees for 10 minutes then reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake an additional 35 minutes.
Combine butter,1/2 cup flour and brown sugar; blend well. Stir in pecans; sprinkle mixture on pie and bake @ 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

Yield: 1 10-inch pie 

                                 ...and of course, it's always served with vanilla ice cream!

Pastel Tres Leches---A Four Spoon Cake

It seemed fitting to be enjoying lunch today  with three of my childhood friends in the downtown area of our hometown to celebrate Donna's February birthday and the first day of her retirement.  Tres Leches Cake was the choice of our birthday girl and she loves us enough that she had the waitress bring four spoons!  It was delicious and we were grateful for her generosity.

I'm thinking this is a recipe for a dairymom to try for an upcoming family  birthday or Easter celebration. With three different kinds of milk in one recipe,  how could you go wrong?  I found this version of the Three Milk Cake on the Nestle website that was introduced to American cooks in the 1960's on the Nestle Evaporated Milk can.


Three Milk Cake--Pastel Tres Leches

Cake:
6 large egg whites
1/2 cup granulated sugar,divided
6 large egg yolks
1 cup all purpose flour,sifted

Cream:
1 can (14 oz.) Nestle Carnation Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 can (7.5oz.) Nestle Media Crema, or 1 cup heavy whipping cream
2/3 cup (5 oz.) can) Nestle Carnation Evaporated Milk
1/4 cup brandy
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For Cake:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease and flour 9 inch springform pan.

Beat egg whites and 1/4 cup sugar in large mixer bowl until stiff peaks form. Combine egg yolks and remaining sugar in medium bowl; beat until light yellow in color. Fold egg white mixture and flour alternately into egg yolk mixture. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until just golden and wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven to wire rack.

For Cream:
Combine sweetened condensed milk, media crema, evaporated milk, brandy and vanilla extract in medium bowl; stir well. Prick top of cake thoroughly with wooden pick. Pour 2 cups cream over cake. Spoon excess cream from side of pan over top of cake. Let stand for 30 minutes or until cake absorbs cream. Remove side of pan.

For Topping:
Beat cream, sugar and vanilla extract in small mixer bowl until stiff peaks form. Spread over top and sides of cake. Serve immediately with remaining cream.

                                                                   

Year Round Valentine Treat

Since I missed celebrating Valentine Day with my family last week due to an unexpected extended stay  in Washington, D.C. because of the snowstorm, I decided to bake a new sweet treat this weekend as  a  belated Valentine for my family.

I chose Peanut Butter Fudge Bars  from my What's Cooking at Wye cookbook for two reasons--I had all the ingredients and three of us in the family love chocolate and peanut butter!  How could I go wrong?


Peanut Butter Fudge Bars

Ingredients:

1 pkg. yellow cake mix
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 egg
1/2 cup vegetable oil
14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup (6 oz.) semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 Tablespoons butter

Combine cake mix, peanut butter, egg and oil. Press 2/3 of the mixture into a greased 13x9 in. baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool on wire rack for 5 minutes.

In a heavy saucepan, heat the milk,
chocolate chips and butter over low heat. Stir until blended. Pour over crust. Sprinkle with remaining crumb mixture. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack. Cut into bars. 

Yield: 12-15 servings

                                A  Peanut Butter Fudge Bar with a dip of vanilla ice cream  is a
                                                            perfect year round Valentine!

Dairy Goes Bananas

I love this month of gathering with friends and family to celebrate and give thanks for the blessings we enjoy on a daily basis.  As I flipped through a new cookbook, 'What's Cooking at Wye', that I picked up on my visit to see the spring daffodils on Wye Mountain, Banana Pudding seemed to be the perfect choice to carry to our Thanksgiving church dinner today. It meets my criteria for using dairy products and serving a crowd!

The recipe didn't have a lot of detailed instruction so I decided on my own to line the bottom of the 13x 9  serving dish with a layer of vanilla wafers with a layer of banana slices on top,pour the pudding mixture  and top it with the rest of the vanilla wafers. I can tell you from licking the spatula--it's mmm... good!

Banana Pudding

8 oz. pkg. cream cheese,softened
1 can condensed milk

Mix ingredients above together and set aside.

1 large box instant vanilla pudding
1 small box instant vanilla pudding
3 1/2 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix the above ingredients together; then add to the cream cheese and condensed milk mixture.

8 bananas-sliced
1 large tub Cool Whip
1 package of vanilla wafers

Add to the mixture above: 1 large tub of Cool Whip (fold one big blob of this into the mixture above)
use the rest to top the pudding. Pour into large bowl, top with remaining cool whip...place in the refrigerator.

                                                                          Happy Sunday!

Trick or Treat?

Whether you're planning to see a lot of Halloween  ghosts and witches or opt for a   a quiet evening at home with the family, I've found the perfect treat  for the peanut butter and chocolate sweet eaters in your family!
Double Peanut Butter Paisley Brownies recipe can be found  on the Hershey  Reese's Peanut Butter Chips package.  I'm convinced that when you top this  warm brownie with a dip of vanilla ice cream drizzled with chocolate syrup, it's pretty much a perfect dessert choice. 

Double Peanut Butter Paisley Brownies

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter,softened
1/4 cup Reese's Creamy Peanut Butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 2/3 cups (10oz pkg) Reese's Peanut Butter Chips
1/2 cup Hershey's Chocolate Syrup

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 13x9x2 inch pan.
Beat butter and peanut butter in large bowl. Add granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat well. Add eggs,one at a time,beating well after each addition. Blend in vanilla.
Stir together flour, baking powder and salt; mix into peanut butter mixture,blending well. Stir in peanut butter chips. Spread half of batter in prepared pan, spoon syrup over top. Carefully top with remaining batter;swirl with metal spatula or knife for marbled effect.
Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely in pan or wire rack. Cut into squares. Yield: 36 brownies

                                                                Happy Halloween!!

Dairymom's Beat the Heat Strategy

Perfect for any hot day in July or
August, especially these 106 degree ones,frozen dairy treats continue to be  a summer tradition  in our family. My childhood  favorites were  fudgesicles,vanilla ice cream and  sherbet.  Last week when grocery shopping, I couldn't resist buying a tub of Hiland's Rainbow Sherbet as part of my beat the heat strategy.

Whether you say 'Sherbert' or 'Sherbet',  you are eating the same delightful frozen dairy product. Sherbet is a fruity flavored frozen dairy product. Butterfat is the distinguishing difference between ice cream,sherbet and frozen dairy desserts. When comparing the amount of butter fat, you will find:

• Ice cream contains 10% butterfat.
• Frozen dairy desserts contain between 2 to 10% butterfat.
• Sherbet contains between 1 to 2% butterfat.

While browsing through a Southern Living cookbook, I found the perfect recipe to try for our beat the heat strategy  in August !

Creamy Pineapple Sherbet
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup boiling water
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup crushed pineapple
1 cup milk
1 cup whipping cream,whipped

Combine sugar and boiling water,stirring until sugar is dissolved. Add lemon  juice,pineapple,and milk.Freeze until slushy; remove from freezer, and fold in whipped cream. Return to freezer, and freeze until firm.
Yield: about 6 servings

I'm planning to beat the heat with dairy delights. How about you?

Happy August!!

Dairy Party Recipe

Two  of the best outcomes of the Arkansas Dairy Foods Contest and the dairy recipe contest that we sponsored in our county, are  getting to taste  alot of delicious  food and taking home a new selection of recipes to share with family and friends. Congratulations to   Alexis Looper of Greenwood,Arkansas for  winning first place  in the party idea category with Vanilla cupcakes with Strawberry Cream Filling and Cream Cheese Icing.  What's not to love about a sweet treat  recipe full of dairy products!

Vanilla Cupcakes with Strawberry Cream Filling and Cream Cheese Icing
Cupcakes:
3 cups cake flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup butter,softened
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/4 cups milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake pan with baking cups. Sift together flour,baking powder, and salt;set aside. In large bowl,cream butter and sugar with electric mixer until light and fluffy.Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. Add flour mixture alternately with milk,beating well after each addition. Continue beating one minute. Pour into prepared baking cups. Bake 18-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center of cupcake comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Turn out onto cooling rack; cool completely.

Strawberry Cream Filling:
1 package (16ounces) frozen sliced strawberries in syrup,thawed
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons cornstarch
Combine strawberries,cream and cornstarch in medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until thickened, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and chill before filling cupcakes. Fill cupcakes with strawberry filling using decorating tip #230.

Cream Cheese Icing
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter,softened
2 packages (8ounces each) cream cheese,softened
8 cups confectioners' sugar (about 2 pounds)
1 tablespoon milk
Icing color,if desired


In large bowl, beat butter and cream cheese with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Gradually add confectioners' sugar and milk. Beat on high until smooth (30-60 seconds). If icing seems too thin, add confectioners' sugar 1 tablespoon at a time.  If it seems too thick,add more milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until icing reaches desired consistency. Add icing color as desired, and mix well.
Frost cupcakes using a disposable decorating bag and a 1M decorating tip. Hold decorating tip approximately 1/4" above cupcake top, at a 90-degree angle to cupcake surface. Pipe a spiral of icing beginning at outer edge and working inward. Pipe a second spiral,smaller (not as wide) on top, and end spiral at center. Pull tip straight up and away. Add any sprinkles or decorations at this time.

Banana Split Dessert

Schools out, swimming pools are open,and it's hot in Northwest Arkansas--perfect time for an ice cream dessert! A dear family friend shared this recipe with me soon after Ryan and I were married. Recipes that have been given to me  always bring a smile whether I'm reading   the recipe or eating the finished product!  It's a great make ahead dessert for any celebration or the perfect treat for an ordinary day when you need to bring a smile or lift a spirit.

Banana Split Dessert

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups  graham cracker crumbs (2pkgs)
3 large bananas,sliced
1/2 gallon Neopolitan ice cream
1 cup pecans
1 pint whipping cream

Reserve 1 cup crumbs; sprinkle remaining crumbs to cover bottom of 11x15in. pan. Slice banannas over crumbs.Slice ice cream in 1 1/2 inch slices, place on top of bananas. Cover with pecans. Place in freezer.

Sauce:
1 stick butter
1 cup chocolate chips
2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Melt butter, add chocolate chips, melt; add powdered sugar and milk. Bring to boil and boil 5 minutes. Cool and add vanilla. Pour over ice cream mixture. Place back in freezer. Whip cream ( sweeten to taste) , spread over sauce. Top with remaining crumbs. Freeze until serving time.

                                                                       
                                                               Have A Dairy Good Day!

Celebrate Earth Day with Dairy Recipe

Although Everyday is Earth day for dairy farmers , it's always fun to recognize a special day or occasion with a celebration that includes food.  Cream Puff Cake was one of the many delicious recipes entered in the Farm Bureau dairy recipe contest this week by Maysville 4-H member Jessica Crawley.

Cream Puff Cake

Crust:
1 cup milk
1/2 unsalted butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 eggs,lightly beaten

Filling:
1 (8ounce) package cream cheese,softened
3 cups milk
2 (3.4 ounces) packages instant vanilla pudding

Topping:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
Chocolate syrup (fudge topping)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small saucepan, heat 1 cup milk and butter until melted. Remove from heat and add flour. Stir until a small ball forms. Add eggs,one at a time,stirring until completely mixed in (batter will be slightly sticky). Spread dough in bottom and up sides of a 9" greased round cake pan* (spread as smooth as possible to avoid high bumps after baking). Bake for 25 minutes until slightly browned. Cool on wire rack.

In a large bowl, beat softened cream cheese until smooth. Add milk and pudding mix; beat on low speed until mixture thickens. Spread over cooled crust.

Whip cream until soft peaks form. Spread over pudding layer. Drizzle chocolate syrup or fudge sauce on top. Refrigerate until serving.

Yield: 16 servings
*May use 9x13x2 inch pan. Bake crust for 30-35 minutes.

  

It does seem fitting for a dairy farmer to celebrate Earth Day with a recipe that includes delicious dairy products!