Mini Cheesecake Easter Baskets

2 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
12 NILLA Wafers
1-1/2 cups BAKER'S ANGEL FLAKE Coconut, tinted green
36 small jelly beans
12 pieces shoestring licorice (4 inch each)
PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs; beat just until blended.
PLACE wafer on bottom of each of 12 paper-lined medium muffin cups. Spoon cream cheese mixture evenly over wafers.
BAKE 20 minutes or until centers are almost set. Cool. Refrigerate at least 2 hours. Top evenly with coconut and jelly beans just before serving. Bend each licorice piece, then insert both ends into each cheesecake to resemble the handle of a basket. Store leftover cheesecakes in refrigerator.

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients:
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3 egg whites (or 2 T. dryPowdered Egg + 1/4 C. Water)
1/2 cup fat-free milk (1-1/2 T. Dry Powdered Milk + 1/2 C. Water)
1/4 cup canola oil
2 cups whole wheat flour
2-1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp. salt
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease a nonstick 9x5-inch loaf pan; set aside. Mix pumpkin, 1cup granulated sugar, the brown sugar, 3 of the egg whites, milk and oil in large bowl. Add flour, baking powder, pie spice and salt; stir just until moistened. **Can add chocolate chips, nuts, etc.**
SPOON the pumpkin batter into prepared pan.
Bake 1 hour to 1 hour 5 min. or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Run knife or thin spatula around edges of pan to loosen bread; cool in pan on wire rack 10 min. Remove bread from pan to wire rack; cool completely.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

Contributed by Diane Brinkerhoff-If you don't have whole wheat flour or dry milk/fat free milk the previous recipe calls for:
3 1/2 cups flour
2 Tbsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
2/3 cup water
2 cups pumpkin
chocolate chips
Sift all dry ingredients together. Mix pumpkin, water, oil, and eggs. Mix all together. Pour into two well-greased loaf pans. Bake at 350 for 1 hour and 15 min. or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool before removing from pans. Sooooooo Yummy! (instead of choc. chips - you can use nuts &/or raisins)Sometimes we make this into muffins and adjust baking time.

Easter Bunny Cupcakes

1. Frost a cupcake (baked from your favorite recipe) with white icing and sprinkle on shredded coconut fur.

2. Cut a large marshmallow in half widthwise. Squeeze each half slightly to give it an oval shape, then decorate the sticky side of each one with pink decorators' sugar and set them in place for ears.

3. Add a jelly bean nose and either jelly bean or snipped Sweet Tart eyes, and mini marshmallows for cheeks. For a finishing touch, draw on decorators' gel pupils or whiskers if you like.

www.FamilyFun.com

Fantasty Fudge

3 c. sugar
3/4 c. butter
2/3 c. (5 1/3 fl. oz. can) evaporated milk
1 (12 oz.) pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 c. Kraft marshmallow creme
1 c. chopped nuts1 tsp. vanilla
Combine sugar, butter and milk in heavy 2 1/2 quart saucepan; bring to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Continue boiling 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Remove from heat; stir in chocolate pieces until melted. Add marshmallow creme, nuts and vanilla; beat until well blended. Pour into greased 13 x 9 inch pan. Cool at room temperature; cut into squares. Makes approximately 3 pounds.

Famous Fudge

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup (5 fl.-oz. can) Evaporated Milk
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 1/2 cups (9 oz.) Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:LINE 8-inch-square baking pan with foil.COMBINE sugar, evaporated milk, butter and salt in medium, heavy-duty saucepan. Bring to a full rolling boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil, stirring constantly, for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat.STIR in marshmallows, morsels, nuts and vanilla extract. Stir vigorously for 1 minute or until marshmallows are melted. Pour into prepared baking pan; refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm. Lift from pan; remove foil. Cut into 48 pieces.
FOR MILK CHOCOLATE FUDGE:SUBSTITUTE 1 3/4 cups (11.5-oz. pkg.) Milk Chocolate Chips for Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips.
FOR BUTTERSCOTCH FUDGE:SUBSTITUTE 1 2/3 cups (11-oz. pkg.) Butterscotch Flavored Chips for Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips.
FOR PEANUTTY CHOCOLATE FUDGE:SUBSTITUTE 1 2/3 cups (11-oz. pkg.) Peanut Butter & Milk Chocolate Chips for Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips and 1/2 cup chopped peanuts for pecans or walnuts.

Peppermint Brownies from the kitchen of Dana Williams

3 cubes of margarine or butter
6 eggs
3cups sugar
1cup cocoa
3cups flour
1 tspn. salt
3 tspn. vanilla
Mix all together and spread in a large baker's sheet, bake at 350 for 20minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle
1/2 bag of chocolate chips
over the top and let them melt, then spread around top of brownies.
Crush
2 candy canes
and sprinkle across the top (you don't have to add the candy canes, you'll still have yummy brownies!)

Sugar Cookies

1 1 /2 cup sugar
1 cup shortening
2 eggs
4 1/2 cup flour
1/4 tspn. salt
1/4 tspn. soda
4 tspn. baking powder
1 cup milk
1 tspn. vanilla

Cream sugar and shortening. Add eggs and mix well. Add sifted dry ingredients alternatley with milk and vanilla. Mix well. Refrigerate one hour (I put mine in the freezer so it chills faster) before rolling and cutting into shapes. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes

Monkey Bread

15-20 Rhodes rolls, cut in 1/2 (Semi-thawed)
1 pkg. Butterscotch pudding (NOT instant)
1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Place rolls in greased bundt pan. Sprinkle pudding mix over rolls. Combine butter and brown sugar and heat to a boil. Add nuts to mixture. Pour mixture over rolls.
Let set overnight at room temperature.
Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes. Let stand for about 30 seconds upon removal from oven and turn over onto serving plate. Experiment with this step, if you're too quick the glaze will be thin and runny but if you're not fast enough, the glaze will be too sticky and stuck to the pan. ENJOY!

Egg Nogg Punch

1 quart dairy eggnogg
1 ping vanilla ice cream
1 quart 7-UP

Combine eggnogg and softened ice cream. Slowly add 7-UP. Serves approx. 20

Green Bean Casserole

3/4 cup milk
1/8tspn. pepper
10 3/4oz. can Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup
2 (14.5 oz.) cans cut green beans, drained
1 1/3 cups FRENCH'S French Fried Onions

In a casserole dish, mix all ingredients except 2/3 cup fried onions. Bake 30 minutes at 350 or until hot; stir. Top with 2/3 cup fried onions, bake 5 minutes or until onions are golden.

Pumpkin Squares-From the kitchen of Shanna Clayson

Crust:
1 pkg yellow cake mix(put 1 cup aside for topping)
1 egg
3/4 C. melted butter
Mix all together and put in greased 9x13 pan

Mix:
2 eggs
2/3 C. evaporated milk
1 large can pumpkin pie filling(the kind with the spices already added
Put on top of crust mixture

1 C. cake mix
1/2 C. sugar1 tsp. cinnamon
3 T. butter
Mix together and sprinkle on top of 2nd layer.Bake @350 for 50-60 min.
Serve warm with Vanilla Ice Cream or cool in fridge and serve with Cool Whip.

Pie Crust-From the kitchen of Ellen Ethington

6 cups flour
2 cups lard or shortening
1 Tbspn. baking powder
1 tspn. salt

Mix together using pastry cutter or your hands until crumbly, texture should resemble peas.

Add
3/4 cup water
1 egg
1 Tbspn. vinegar

Gently push together, DO NOT MIX HARD! Be gentle when handling the pie dough, mix it like you're making biscuits, not bread.

Sweet Chex Mix

9cups Corn Chex
9 cups Rice Chex
7 cups Golden Grahams
1 1/2 cups sliced almonds
1 cup coconut
2 cups sugar
2 cups Karo Syrup
1 1/2 cup butter
1 tspn. vanilla

In large bowl combine all cereal, almonds, and coconut.
On stove top combine sugar, Karo Syrup, butter, and vanilla. Boil for 2 1/2 minutes. Pour over other mixture.

Cranberry Salsa-From the kitchen of Scarlett Gustin

1 lb. fresh cranberries, rinsed and chopped
1 cup sugar
2tspns. orange zest
3 medium size oranges, peeled and chopped
3 granny smith apples, peeled and chopped
2-3 serrano chilis, seeded and diced
1 bunch Cilantro, chopped
1 bunch green onions

Chop and dice to texture preference (a food processor comes in handy here!). Mix all ingredients together and chill any length of time. Served best at room temperature with chips or on turkey.

Gingerbread-From the kitchen of Brenda Gurney

1/2 cup butter
1 cup dark molasses
1/3 c up water
2 eggs
4 tspn. cinnamon
2 1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tspn. ground cloves
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
5+cups flour

Cream butter until light and fluffy. Beat in molasses, then add eggs and water. Stir in dry ingredients and chill at least one hour. Roll and cut dough. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes, depending on thickness of shapes.

Chex Mix

Wisk together:
1/2 cup oil
1 pkg. ranch dressing mix

Combine:
8 cups Crispix cereal
4 cups rice Chex cereal
4 cups corn Chex
2 cups pretzels
2 cups peanuts

Stir together, pour first mixture over cereal mixture. Spread on cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Let cool completley and add M and M's

Chex Muddie Buddies

8 cups Chex cereal
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter
1/4 tspn. vanilla
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Pour cereal into large bowl and set aside. Combine chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter in one-quart microwavable bowl. Microwave on high for 1-1 1/2 minutes or until smooth. Be sure to stir often so the mixture doesn't burn.
Stir in vanilla. Pour chocolate mixture over cereal and stir until all pieces are evenly coated. Pour powdered sugar over cereal, place lid on bowl and shake so that all pieces are coated well. Spread on wax paper to cool. Store in airtight container.

Cinnamon Rolls

This recipe makes a lot, so you might want to half it.

3 1/2 cups warm water
3/4 cup sugar
1 Tbspn. salt
10 cups flour
1 cup oil
6 Tbspns. yeast
3 eggs

Cinnamon
Brown Sugar
Raisins and nuts if desired

Mix all together and let rest 15 minutes. Divide dough into three large balls (add additional flour as needed). Roll one ball out and spread with melted butter. Sprinkle with brown sugar, cinnamon, raisins, and nuts. Roll up and cut into rolls. Repeat this step for the remaining two portions of dough. Let rolls rise 10 minutes. Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes.

Glaze:
4cups powdered sugar
1 cup hot water
2 tspns. butter

Heat butter on oven top until melted. Gradually add powdered sugar and water, don't add water all at once, just enough to get the desired consistancy. Cool and pour over rolls.