I have a great recipe for cheesecake. I've been making it since I was 18 years old and got the recipe from a room mate's mom. It's a vanilla cheesecake with a vanilla sour cream top layer.

Second is my chocolate cake. The recipe includes sour cream, coffee and buttermilk. It is very moist.

My mom was a pie maker and I can't seem to get her pie dough right so she ruined me for pies. Since she died, I haven't had a good piece of pie. Berry pie for breakfast is the best!

golddust... I would love to have your choc cake and cheesecake recipes. My friend just gave me a buttermilk glaze recipe, she puts it on white or yellow cakes. have yet to try it, she says you cannot taste the buttermilk. :)

I have 2 favorites.

One is a yellow pound cake with an almond chocolate ripple.

The other is a Ricotta cake.

Both start off with a cake mix, are simple but very tasty.

Hmmm...a few come to mind.

My apple (or peach) crisp is wonderful because the apples come from a neighboring farm. DH and I pick them and straight away they go into pies, crisp, applesauce or my home canned apple pie filling that I use later on during the winter.

I make a wonderful pumpkin cheesecake, but only make it when there's a large crowd because it serves alot of people.

One of our favorite "company" desserts is my Italian plum and raspberry upside-down cake. It has just the right amount of sweetness along with a tart finish. The cake part is a bit crumbly and has a hint of deep molasses-type flavor from the brown sugar with a hint of spices. A perfect combination.

In the warmer months I make a chocolate-hazelnut gelato that makes ny DH swoon, it's that good.

I love to bake and I'm always making desserts because DH (and DS when he visits) always rattles around looking for something to satisfy his "bakery urges".

I didn't create the recipes, but I make these desserts regularly when the family is here:
1. Paul Bertolli's pots de creme, the most obscenely rich version of this recipe and not for the faint of heart
2. Anne Willan's tarte Tatin topped with cream whipped with a bit of sugar and cognac
3. Chocolate torte topped with cream whipped with a dollop of Glenlivet and served with a few fresh raspberries and a mint leaf

Bananas Flambe
Sautee 4 sliced bananas in a stick of butter. Add 1/2 cup of brown sugar. Let simmer a couple of minutes. Add 1/4 cup dark rum. Burn off the rum and serve the mixture over ice cream.

YUMM!

Two toned cheesecake, fruit pies- I love to make my own crust. Oatmeal raisin cookies.

Mixed berry pie comes to mind... I use a favorite blueberry pie recipe, but do about 1/3 to 1/2 a mixture of blackberries,raspberries and strawberries. The remaining 1/2 to 2/3 is blueberry. Delicious, even more so with vanilla ice-cream, even more so at breakfast!

jennava,

I'd be happy to share my two recipes. That said, you may have to remind me because starting tomorrow morning, I'll be commuting to Sacramento every day. Point of destination is 2 hours, minus traffic. I'll be in Federal Court and may be exhausted after driving back and forth. I'm taking a break from ironing my wardrobe for the week.

So after next week, I'll do it if I remember! Feel free to bother me for it.

Turtle brownies. Yum! Starts with a (German chocolate) cake mix and then globs of melted caramel, nuts and chocolate chips. Sinful, easy, and people love it! DH recently made some apple dumplings. SOOOO good.

All of these desserts are making me hungry! My go to desserts are cheesecakes - lemon or chocolate chip - and a lemon pound cake topped with a lemon glaze and served with fresh berries and ice cream.

I also make brownies all the time but use the Gharirdelli mix. I think they taste just as good as homemade brownies!

OK, pie makers. I need your recipes! Pie is my most favorite thing in the world and I am missing it so much! My mom could not articulate her recipe (she made pies in bulk) but this forum doesn't have that same problem!! Please! I'm dying for some good pie with a flaky, salty crust that doesn't absorb the filling yet remains soft while crispy. I'm looking for pie dough that has layers and isn't soggy or stiff. I want flaky brown...

I make a killer Red Velvet Cake. It reminds me of an old-fashioned bakery cake, it's that heavy and rich. Cream Cheese frosting.

I bake it every Christmas and people literally go nuts for it!

Chocolate cake with peanut butter or butter icing. The cake is really moist and just gets better by the day. All three are made from scratch.

I do this super easy creme de menthe cake that everyone, young and old, requests.

White cake mix, fudge frosting (not chocolate), whipped topping, creme de menthe.

Mix white cake mix as directed except substitute 1/4 cup creme de menthe for 1/4 cup of water.

Let cake cool and cover with fudge frosting.

Thaw whip toppping and mix a few tablespoons of creme de menthe in the container. Cover fudge layer with mint whip topping.

Chill and serve. Tastes like a creamy, cold, peppermint patty.

I'm not really a fan of cool whip but anything else seems to break down after a day or two.

I also love the Gharirdelli brownie mixes. I especially like that they only make a 1/2 batch so I only make 1/2 a pig of myself.

goldie - I've found the best and most consistent pie crust recipes use shortening. Here's one I use from Ina Garten that's tried and true....and easy as pie ;o)

Here is a link that might be useful: Ina Garten pie crust recipe

I love to bake too, although I am doing less since we just have one child at home.

My mom's strawberry shortcake - it's different because the cake has nuts in it.

All kinds of pies, cheesecake (DH's favorite), peach cobbler, pound cake (uses 10 or 12 eggs), lemon curd, flourless chocolate cake, ....

I love sweets.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies are my favorite, but when I need a cookie in a hurry (I'm a cookie monster!) my 3-ingredient Peanut Butter Cookie fits the bill.

Mix: One egg, one cup sugar, one cup chunky peanut butter.

Scoop by teaspoon on ungreased cookie sheet. Press gently with tines of a fork. Bake 10-12 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven.

I have a banana cake recipe that is so moist I don't frost it. Everyone raves about it.

Also pumpkin bars that I love.

Tira Mi Su.

The best part is there is no cooking involve and Tira Mi Su is practically goof proof. Everyone loves it too. You can adapt the recipe to individual tastes easily also.

Gosh this makes me hungry. Golddust I have to be honest about my pie crusts, I buy them. The ones that you find in the dairy dept., that are already rolled out and they are quite good and flaky. I know that is kind of cheating and when people compliment them, I just don't say a word. Is that lying? However, thanks to Mrs.marv I am going to save Barefoot Contessa's pie crust recipe.

I love cheesecake's too and can't wait to see your recipe.

Ann T's Sticky Toffee Pudding cake , it's to die for.
Ann T is on the Cooking Forum and has a great recipe blog.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sticky Toffee muffins

Golddust, I will ask you in a few weeks. I understand how busy you are going to be. I am having a hysterectomy this Wednesday, and I will be away from the computer for a few days myself. Thank you!

My favorite (by far) dessert recipe is originally from Bon Appetit mag, for Winter-Spiced Molten Lava Cakes with Rum-Ginger Ice Cream. As elegant as it looks and as fabulous as it tastes, it's not a difficult recipe to make. And, the addition of the cardamom, coriander, cinnamon, white pepper and ground cloves takes these individual cakes over-the-top in flavor . . . and decadence! It's truly a company dessert that always draws raves and it's also great for those romantic dinners for two . . . with leftovers. Even the accompanying Rum-Ginger Ice Cream is a snap to make. You just stir rum (or rum flavoring) and chopped crystallized ginger into softened store-bought vanilla ice cream and refreeze it! The combination of the flavors in the cakes and the ice cream is, to us, pure heaven!
I'm adding a link to the recipe on Bon Appetit's website if anyone wants to check it out.
Lynn
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"Bon Appetit Recipe link"

Jane, I'm right there with you on the Pillsbury refrigerated pie crusts. They're close enough to as good as what I make myself and save me so much energy that I can make things more often. I usually do deep-dish single-crust fruit pies - crust on top - I rip up the unrolled crust into pieces and "rustically" arrange the pieces atop the fruit in a casserole dish, brush with water and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar to make it "purty". Fruit crisp (or crumble as it's called elsewhere) is more common though - I can make a ton of the topping in the food processor and freeze it in a zipper bag. If I smack the bag on the counter a couple of times it loosens up and I can scoop out what I need. I often use bagged frozen fruit, mixed with instant tapioca and sugar per the instructions on the Minute Tapioca box, and appropriate spices/seasonings for the fruit used (like lemon zest for blueberries), under the crumble or piecrust topping.

In cooler weather I make pumpkin custard a lot - it's just pumpkin pie without the crust, baked in custard cups or a casserole dish. There's a local brand of canned pumpkin called One Pie and I make the pie right from the recipe on the label although I jack up the spices, and often substitute real maple syrup (grade B preferred) for most of the sugar (which I cut back anyway) and molasses.

An easy one we make a lot is just nicknamed Pineapple Goop:
1 20-oz can crushed pineapple, drained but leave it a bit sloppy
2 pints sour cream (light is fine, nonfat is terrible, yogurt is even worse)
2 large boxes vanilla pudding mix
4 Tbsp sugar or preferred substitute
pinch salt
Stir it all together and chill until firm. Toasted coconut on top is a nice touch. If you want you can pile this in a graham cracker crust and serve it as a pie, but we just put it in custard cups.

DH makes a really mean creme brulee when he has time and inclination, too. :-)

I have to agree with the premade rolled refrigerator crust. Either Pillsbury or Walmart brand (Great Value) is pretty good. I think the Walmart was better tasting IIRC. I used to use the frozen pie shells but they took up too much space in the freezer. Now I keep a box or 2 of the rolled crust & use my own pie pan.

Golddust, my daughter will kick herself if I ever pass before she shows an interest in things I make. I've been baking since before I was 10, I had to because my "mother" didn't do anything like that.

The Better Homes & Gardens pie book says Single crust - 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/3 cup shortening or lard 3 to 4 tablespoons cold water

double crust 2 cups flour - 1 teaspoon salt - 2/3 cup shortening or lard 6 to 7 tablespoons cold water

With your mom; do you know if she used cream cheese? I also wonder if she brushed the crust with milk and or egg. Crust also depends on how you cook it. I'm pretty sure I do it on 350 & let it cook slower & longer. It's possible your mom didn't measure the salt; I never do

Before I moved out of my parents house at 19 I had a dessert cookbook with rolled cream cheese cookies; I used to get criticized; she'd wonder why I liked to do stuff like that. Of course when I moved out; people sure missed it. For Christmas I make an assortment of fancy cookies; then we give them out.

I make a mean cheese cake with a cake crust as I don't like graham cracker. My hub keeps wanting a graham crust; I'll have to do it that way for him one time so he can see he doesn't really miss it. lol

I also used to make a pistachio cake; got the recipe from one of the parents friends. It ended up getting lost. It was made with dream whip & jello pistachio pudding.

roselvr, I hope your DD takes an interest in your recipes before you die! LOL! I took an interest but my mom made pies in multiples, like she had a bakery. She made her crusts by texture and feel. A pinch of this and a hand full of that...

Not wanting to "waste heat," I'll never forget waking up on chilly Saturday mornings to the house filled with the smell of pies. Slightly warm pie with half and half for breakfast was the best!

I don't care for the store bought pie crusts. I tell you, my mom ruined many people for pie, not just me.

My hub's grandma did the same with cheese cake. I'm not sure if she knows how to make just one. lol I do understand what your mom did; I cook the same way; never use a recipe. lol

If you have her recipe; you could try doing it in bulk, then try to narrow it down for one or 2 pies. She may have used a touch more flour or a touch less or adjusted the shortening more or less. :(

roselvr, do you make the Company Cheesecake from the BH&G cookbook? That's our "old reliable"... back when my dad was teaching he and I would bake twenty or so of them every Christmas for the other teachers and a very few other very lucky people. I much prefer their shortbready crust to the more common crumb crusts. I need a new copy of the OLD big book - the red plaid binder - mine's gone walkabout and they messed around with the recipes in the new version. (Did the same thing to Joy of Cooking. Irritating.) I broke the spine on the paperback in about six places ages back, it's held together with packing tape!

Pie for breakfast was a staple at Grammie's when I was a little kid. No half and half though. Slab of apple pie with a hunk of "rat cheese" (very sharp cheddar) on the side - Gramp liked apple best for breakfast, other kinds were for dessert - with "Navy coffee" you could just about stand your spoon up in. (I once had a version where they tried to bake the cheese into the pie. It was vile.) She made terrible crust though. You could hurt someone with the "bone", the bit around the rim. Then she decided to go all "healthy" and the delicious breakfast pie disappeared in favor of a bowl of Wheaties. *mourn*

golddust, I do so hate to disagree with you, but I've had enough people insist "oh, I just can't stand that store-bought pie crust", mumbling it around a mouthful of pie... made with that very product. *chuckle* About the third time it happened I decided not to waste precious energy on making piecrust anymore (when you have 4-6 usable hours in a day, you take your shortcuts as you can)... My mom makes kick-@$$ pie crust - perfect texture etc. - but she also smokes heavily so all her baked goods have a strong overtone of "ashtray" to the flavor. We usually give them away to friends who smoke who won't notice it.

Oh! I forgot Oatmeal Pie. It's an old Amish/Mennonite recipe, IIRC. It makes a chewy-crisp top sort of like an oatmeal cookie and underneath that is a layer like the gooey part of a pecan pie. As I said above, many of our friends are allergic to nuts, so this is what I bring to a lot of wintertime potlucks as a "replacement" for pecan pie. 25 or so people will wipe out 2 or 3 10" pies and leave other desserts untouched. LOL

I used to love making fancy desserts, but they are usually too time consuming for my limited time budget and our friends don't really appreciate them anyway. They'd rather have the simpler, homier stuff.