Makes 16 large cookies

• 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup Butter Flavor Crisco Shortening
• 1 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
• 3 Tablespoons milk
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla
• 1 egg
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 16 full size Reese’s peanut butter cups (frozen)
• Chocolate coated candies for top

1.  Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

2.  Combine peanut butter, Butter Flavor Crisco, light brown sugar, milk and vanilla in large bowl.  Beat at medium speed of electric mixer until well blended.  Add egg.  Beat just until blended.

3.  Combine flour, salt and baking soda.  Add to creamed mixture at low speed.  Mix just until blended.

4.  Refrigerate dough for several hours.

5.  Place parchment paper on cookie sheets.

6.  Use a medium cookie scoop to place 6 scoops on cookie sheet.

7.  Place a full size Reese’s peanut butter cup on top of cookie dough.  If they’re frozen, they’re easier to work with.

8.  Place another scoop of peanut butter cookie dough on top of Reese’s cup.

9.  Using your fingers, flatten the dough onto the peanut butter cup and seal the sides of the cookie.

10.  Place chocolate coated candy (I used candy corn m&m’s) on top of the cookies.  Don’t be afraid to put too many on the cookie because they will spread in the oven.

11.  Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes or until light golden brown.  Cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack.

These muffins make the whole house smell amazing!  Flavored with a hint of orange and studded with dried cranberries, these moist muffins hold a surprise — an enticing cream cheese filling.

Filling

• 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel
• 1/2 teaspoon orange liqueur or orange juice

Muffins

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 (15 oz) can pure pumpkin
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange peel
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon orange liqueur or orange juice
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries
• Powdered sugar for sprinkling, if desired

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line 12 muffin cups with  paper liners.  Beat all filling ingredients in small bowl at medium speed 1 minute or until smooth and creamy.
2. Whisk flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl.
3. Whisk brown sugar and butter in large bowl until blended.  Whisk in pumpkin, egg, 1 1/2 teaspoons orange peel, vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon orange liqueur.  Stir in flour mixture just until combined.  Stir in cranberries.
4. Spoon batter into muffin cups, filling halfway.  With teaspoon, make small well in center of each cup.  Spoon about 1 1/2 teaspoons of the filling into each well.  Top with remaining batter (muffin cups will be full).
5. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool completely on wire rack.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.

Yields 12 muffins.

Yield:  24 cupcakes

• 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 12 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk, at room temperature

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line two cupcake pans with paper liners.  Twist 24 Oreo cookies in half and place the side with the cream filling cream side up in each of the paper liners.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth.  Gradually add the brown sugar and continue beating until fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.  Beat in the vanilla.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.  Mix just until all the dry ingredients have been incorporated, being careful not to overmix.
4. Divide the batter between the prepared cupcake liners.  Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 18-20 minutes.  Transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature.
5. Crush the remaining halves of Oreos in a zip lock bag with a rolling pin until fine crumbs.  Add to a container of your favorite frosting or home made buttercream icing and frost the cupcakes.
6. Top with a mini Oreo.

Yield Makes about 3 dozen

• 1 box Betty Crocker SuperMoist White Cake Mix
• Water, Vegetable Oil and Egg Whites as called for on cake mix box
• Red Food Color
• Blue Food Color
• 1 container (12 oz) Betty Crocker Whipped Fluffy White Frosting

Heat oven to 325°F. Generously grease 12-cup fluted tube cake pan. Make cake batter as directed on box, using water, oil and egg whites. Pour 1 cup of the batter into small bowl; stir in red food color until well mixed. Pour another cup of the batter into separate bowl; stir in blue food color until well mixed.

Pour red cake batter into bottom of pan. Carefully pour remaining white batter over red batter in pan. Carefully pour blue batter over white batter. (Blue batter does not need to cover white batter completely; it looks better if it just forms a ring in the center of the white batter.)

Bake as directed on box or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool cake 5 minutes. Meanwhile, place cooling rack over cookie sheet. Turn pan upside down onto cooling rack. Cool cake completely, about 30 minutes.

When cake is cool, divide frosting evenly into 3 microwavable bowls. Microwave 1 bowl of frosting uncovered on High a few seconds until smooth enough to drizzle over cake. With spoon, drizzle all of white frosting back and forth around cake in a striping pattern. Repeat microwaving second bowl of frosting until smooth. Stir in a few drops blue food color until well blended. Drizzle over cake, scattering frosting back and forth. Repeat with remaining bowl of frosting and red food color, making sure red, white and blue frostings can be seen on cake. Add colored sprinkles and let cake stand at room temperature until frosting is set before serving.
Expert Tips:

Courtesy www.bettycrocker.com

1	box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® white cake mix
	Water, vegetable oil and egg whites called for on cake mix box
	Red food color
	Blue food color
1	container (12 oz) Betty Crocker® Whipped fluffy white frosting

For the beehive cake I used a beehive shaped cake pan but you can also use graduating size round layer cakes and/or a domed cake pan.  I iced the cake with buttercream icing and added royal icing decorations.

For the beehive sugar cookies, I baked and decorated beehive cookies and bumble bee cookies.  Then I simply glued the bee onto the beehive cookie with royal icing.  Too adorable!  I sealed the cookies in clear cellophane bags and they were used as party favors for the guests to take home.

The smash cake was two 4″ round layers iced with buttercream icing and decorated with royal icing bumble bees and the simple bee trail piped on the cake with black buttercream icing.

The cupcakes brought the theme together by using black and white cupcake liners, yellow buttercream icing and royal icing daisies.

This cake calls to me on so many different levels.  This is definitely my dessert pick for Memorial Day weekend.

The combination of cheesecake filling, raspberries, and lemon curd, as well as the vanilla pudding and white chocolate baked into the tender white cake, are too much to resist.  And then it’s topped off with cream cheese frosting and fresh fruit!  This is a keeper and I definitely wanted to share it with you for the holiday weekend.

Ingredients

• 1 (18.25-oz.) package white cake mix
• 1 (3.4-oz.) package vanilla instant pudding mix
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 1 cup canola oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 (4-oz.) white chocolate bar, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons grated lemon rind (about 2 large lemons)
• 3 (16-oz.) cans homestyle cream cheese frosting
• 1 (19-oz.) package frozen cheesecake with strawberry topping, finely diced (we tested with Sara Lee)
• 2 cups fresh raspberries, divided
• 1 (10-oz.) jar premium lemon curd
• 1 cup fresh strawberries, halved
• Fresh mint sprigs

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Beat first 6 ingredients at low speed with an electric mixer 1 minute; beat at medium speed 2 minutes. Fold in chopped chocolate and lemon rind. Pour batter into 2 greased and floured 9-inch round cake pans.
• Bake at 350° for 30 to 32 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks, and cool completely. Wrap and chill cake layers at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
• Using a serrated knife, slice cake layers in half horizontally to make 4 layers. Place 1 layer, cut side up, on cake plate. Spread with 1/2 cup cream cheese frosting; sprinkle with one-third of chopped cheesecake and 1/2 cup raspberries. Repeat procedure twice. Place final cake layer on top of cake, cut side down. Spread remaining frosting on top and sides of cake. Cover and chill in refrigerator until ready to serve. Store in refrigerator.
• Just before serving, drizzle lemon curd over cake. Garnish with remaining raspberries, strawberries, and mint sprigs.

Karen’s  Tip: If the lemon curd is a bit too thick to drizzle over the frosted cake, microwave it at HIGH for 30 seconds. Stir the warm lemon curd, and drizzle over cake using a small spoon.

• 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 stick butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• Combine flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl and mix well.

• Stir in vegetable oil.
• Add buttermilk and stir just until blended.

• Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth.  Roll dough into a 15 x 8 inch rectangle.
• Preheat the oven to 400F.  Grease a 9 inch round baking pan lightly.
• Spread butter over the dough.

• Combine granulated sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and mix well.  Sprinkle over butter.

• Roll up rectangle, jelly roll fashion, starting from one long side.  Pinch seam to seal.

• Cut the roll into 1 1/2 inch slices.  Arrange the slices, cut side up, in prepared baking pan.

• Bake until lightly browned, about 15 to 20 minutes.  Remove from oven.  Serve hot.

You can make your own personalized Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake for your next celebration.  They’re very easy to make and can save you a lot of money!

You’ll want to use a greased 14″ or 16″ pizza pan.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1.  In large bowl, beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well.

2.  Gradually add flour, salt and baking soda, beating until well blended.  Stir in chocolate chips.

3.  Spread in greased 14 or 16 inch round pizza pan.  Bake for 20-25 minutes.  Cool cookie in pan on a cooling rack.

4.  Decorate as desired.