Perfect desserts for Spring and Easter!

I know I have talked about these favorite desserts of mine before, but as we are looking forward to celebrating Easter Sunday this weekend, I thought I would share them again!

The first is a favorite that we typically have on Easter Sunday (my sister and I have been taking turns making my aunt's Cherry Cream Pie recipe):

Cherry Cream Pie...so delicious!

Another favorite dessert that says "spring" to me, is Lemon Bars (or Lemon Squares)! 

I'm making myself hungry!
I can hardly wait to enjoy these desserts this weekend!

What desserts make you think "Spring"?

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Happy Birthday...links to yummy desserts!

Since it's my 40-something birthday today, I thought I would post links to some of the yummy desserts that would be great for any birthday celebration.
Frankly, they would be great for any occasion!  LOL!

Since I am not a huge cake fan (except chocolate cake), here are some of my favorites:
*Easy Ice Cream Cake w/ Hot Fudge Topping 
*Cherry Cream Pie

 or how about a selection of brownies/bars?
*Chewy Cocoa Brownies
*Caramel Bars
*Chocolate Mint Brownies 
*Lemon Squares

 Are you a traditional cake and ice cream fan for birthdays? Pin It

What's for Easter dessert? Cherry Cream Pie (from my archives)

This is the only thing I have to make for Easter dinner...wow!

We are privileged to be going to my mother-in-law's early in the day, and then to my brother's house later in the day -- 2 Easter celebrations! 

So, I will be preparing this amazing pie.  I wanted to share it with you again, because it is SO easy and SO good!

Cherry Cream Pie
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 can of cherry pie filling
Mix together sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, vanilla and almond, until thick.
Whip 1/2 cup whipping cream and fold into the milk/lemon juice mixture.  Pour into the prepared pie crust (you may use a plain crust, or a ready made shortbread crust.)  Place in refrigerator and let set for a half hour.  Pour 1 can of cherry pie filling over the top.  Serve with whipped cream, if desired.

Visit the original posting for Cherry Cream Pie, if you are interested.

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Chocolate Mint Brownies

These brownies are an absolute favorite of mine, and they have become a bit of a tradition for Christmas!!!

The recipe comes from an old Family Fun magazine, and the recipe can still be found on their website.
Chocolate Mint Brownies

If you don't have time to make brownies from scratch, you can easily use a brownie mix, which I have done before.

BUT, you don't want to change the frosting recipe!!!!  The frosting is what makes these SO fabulous!!!!

I will list the recipe here for the two types of frosting:
Mint Frosting
*1/4 cup softened butter
*2 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
*1 1/2 to 3 T. milk
*1/2 tsp. peppermint extract
green food coloring
Cream the butter and sugar.  Add the milk a tablespoon at a time, until smooth and spreadable.  Mix in peppermint extract and add green food coloring, to your liking.  Frost the cooled brownies, and cover and let chill for 1 hour.
Chocolate Topping
*3/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
*3 T. butter
Place in a microwavable container and microwave on high for 1 1/2 minutes, or until the chocolate melts.  Stir until smooth and carefully spread over the mint frosting.  Refrigerate for 45 minutes, or until the chocolate hardens.
When ready to serve, bring to room temperature and carefully cut into squares.  (My mother uses a plastic knife...seems to work better.)

Enjoy, and try not to eat the whole pan!!!  (Like I want to do!)  LOL!!!


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Easy Ice Cream Cake with Hot Fudge Topping

I love ice cream cake.  I don't mean the kind that has a plain cake layered with ice cream.  I mean the kind that has ice cream with a crust on the bottom!  :)

This is the recipe that I made for my oldest's 14th birthday in July.  It is the cake that my boys often request.  The recipe comes from a good old-fashioned church cookbook.  Actually it was a book called "Twin Cities Covenant Women" (1980) that featured many congregations, so I don't even know the dear lady that took the time to put this recipe in the book.  Her name is Mrs. Norman Engman, and I'm sure she would be quite happy that I have enjoyed her recipe over and over!  She calls the recipe, Buster Bar Dessert, but since my boys don't want the peanuts in it, I just call it Ice Cream Cake!  LOL!

Ice Cream Cake

1 package crushed Oreos
1/2 c. butter, melted
Process the whole oreos in a food processor.  (If you want to remove the filling you can, but it is much easier to use the whole cookie.)  Mix the crushed cookies with the melted butter, and press in the bottom of a 9x13 pan.  Freeze.

Spread 1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream over frozen cookie mixture.  If desired, top with 1 1/2 cups salted spanish peanuts.  Freeze again.

Melt 2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips.  Add 1 can evaporated milk, 1/2 c. butter, and 2 c. powdered sugar.  Boil this mixture for 8 minutes, while stirring.

Cool and pour on the frozen ice cream.  Return to freezer for several hours.

***I usually don't pour all of the fudge sauce on the cake.  You could half the recipe or just save it for topping to use later.  It makes a HUGE portion of sauce. 

You could very easily substitute any flavor of ice cream for the vanilla, or do 2 kinds of ice cream.  The possibilities are endless!  :)

Forgive the glaring candles....he's getting old, you know!  :)

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Cherry Cream Pie

Oh, how I love this version of Cherry Cream Pie!  This is often a part of our Easter dinner tradition and it is so delicious!  I had never made it before, but got the recipe from my mother so that I could make it for Easter.  The recipe was my aunt's recipe.  She passed away several years back so it is very special to continue making some of the foods that I know she liked to make.  This cream pie does not have any cream cheese, or sour cream.  The taste is fantastic!
Cherry Cream Pie
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 can of cherry pie filling
Mix together sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, vanilla and almond, until thick.
Whip 1/2 cup whipping cream and fold into the milk/lemon juice mixture.  Pour into the prepared pie crust (you may use a plain crust, or a ready made shortbread crust.)  Place in refrigerator and let set for a half hour.  Pour 1 can of cherry pie filling over the top.  Serve with whipped cream, if desired. Pin It

Chewy Cocoa Brownies, for when you have to have chocolate!!! :)

These are the real thing!!!!  I was craving chocolate yesterday, and we had no chocolate chips for cookies (my kids always eat them, often before I can use them!!)  So, I looked on the back of my Nestle' cocoa box and found the following recipe.  They came out of the oven at 10:30 p.m. but of course I had to try them!  (I know, it's not the healthiest thing to do, eating brownies and milk before bed, but they tasted oh, so good!!!)

Here's the recipe:

Chewy Cocoa Brownies
1 2/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
2 T. water
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/3 cup flour
3/4 cup baking cocoa
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup chopped nuts (optional)
Preheat oven to 350*.  Grease a 9x13 pan.
Combine sugar, butter and water in a bowl.  Stir in eggs and vanilla.  Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl; stir into sugar mixture.  Stir in nuts, if desired.  Spread into pan.  Bake for 18-25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out slightly sticky.  Cool completely in pan (if you can wait that long!!!!)  Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.
I think this would be fabulous served warm with vanilla ice cream!!!
Enjoy!!!
For a printer-friendly view of recipe click here. 

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Caramel bars

I just made these fabulous caramel bars today! I can’t take any credit for the recipe though.
I found it here at Your Baking Story.
They are so good….I might eat the whole pan!
Anyone mind?

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