Autumn Apple Cake

1 cup raisins or currants
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup dark brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups apples -- peeled and thickly sliced
1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350°. In a small bowl, soak currants in water to cover for 1 hour. Sift dry ingredients together. In a large bowl with electric mixer, beat oil and sugars until well blended (about 6 minutes). Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla then gradually beat in flour mixture. Fold currants into batter along with apples and pecans. Spoon batter into greased 9: tube pan. Bake for 1 1/2 hours or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven. Cool in pan on wire rack.


Serving Ideas : You don't need a frosting on this cake, but you could put a glaze over the top, or you could serve with whipped cream.


NOTES : This is a delicious apple cake. Really moist. It makes a lot, so if it's just for the family, when it' baked cut in half and freeze second portion for a later date. WONDERFUL!

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Caramel Rum Sauce

CRUST:
2 cups crushed cinnamon graham crackers
1/4 cup butter
FILLING:
4 8-ounce packages cream cheese -- softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
3/4 teaspoon cardamon
CARAMEL RUM SAUCE:
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon spiced rum or 1/4 teaspoon rum extract

Heat oven to 300°. Spray 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Wrap foil around pan to catch drips. In a small bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs with butter and press in bottom and 1-inch up side of pan. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Cool 5 minutes.

In a large bowl beat cream cheese with sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, just until blended. Spoon 3 cups of the mixture onto crust. To remaining batter, add pumpkin, cardamon and pumpkin pie spice and put on top of batter already in pan.

Place a shallow pan in oven and fill half full of boiling water (this keeps cheesecake from splitting). Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until edge of cheesecake is set at least 2 inches from edge of pan but center of cheesecake still giggles slightly when moved. Run a small spatula around edge of pan to loosen cheesecake. Turn oven off and open door at least 4 inches. Let cheesecake remai in oven for 30 minutes. Cool in pan on cooling rack for 30 minutes. Cover loosely, refrigerate at least 6 hour. To serve, top each slice with whipped cream drizzled with the rum sauce.

Swedish Apple Pie

2 1/2 cups Apples -- peeled and sliced
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter or margarine -- melted
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup walnuts -- chopped
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 large egg -- slightly beaten
pinch salt

Grease a 9" pie plate with butter. Fill 2/3 full with apples. Mix 1 teaspoon sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon over apples. In a separate bowl, mix 1 cup sugar with the flour and salt. Stir to combine thoroughly. Mix melted butter and the egg and combine it with the sugar-flour mixture. Stir in Walnuts. Spread mixture out on top of the apples. Bake at 350°for approximatley 65 minutes, or until golden brown and apples are tender.

Hamburger Stroganoff

1/4 cup butter
1 clove garlic -- minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 cup sour cream
1 pound ground beef
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Melt butter in a large skillet and add onions and garlic. Cook until limp, about 3 minutes. Stir in ground beef and cook until browned. Drain if there is a lot of grease. Add mushrooms, salt, pepper, flour and paprika. Mix well and cook 1 minute. Stir in soup; heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in sour cream and Worcestershire sauce and heat thoroughly. Do not allow to boil. Serve mixture over rice, potatoes or noodles.



NOTES : I usually mix this with noodles. I like the Kolaski noodes, they are like dried home made noodles.

No-Bake Chocolate-Caramel Bars

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup shortening
5 cups Rice Crispies
10 ounces Milk Duds (5-6 candy bar size packages)
1 tablespoon water

Melt chips and shortening in microwave (stir every 30 seconds until melted). Pour over Rice Crispies and stir to coat. Melt Milk Duds and water in microwave (stir every 30 seconds until melted). Mix in with Rice Crispy mixture. Spread in greased 9 x 13 pan. Refrigerate to harden. Cut into serving pieces.

Mom's Cornmeal Rolls

1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups milk
1/2 cup margarine
1 pkg. yeast -- (I use another 1/2 pkg. yeast)
1/4 cup warm water
2 large eggs -- beaten
4 cups flour -- (4 to 4 1/2)

Cook cornmeal, sugar, salt, margarine, and milk until thick. Cool to lukewarm. Soften yeast in warm water. Mix in with cooled cornmeal mixture. Add beaten eggs and mix well. Add flour to form soft dough. Knead 8-10 minutes on floured board. Place in greased bowl and let raise until double in size, punch down. Shape into Parker house style rolls and place on greased cookie sheet. Let raise again. Bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes. Brush with melted margarine.



NOTES : These are wonderful, very light and you can't tell there is cornmeal in them. My mom shaped the rolls into a ball and then slightly flattened the ball and folded in half. Wonderful, wonderful recipe.

Chicken Divan Crescent Casserole

8 ounces refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
9 ounces frozen cut broccoli -- cooked and well drained
4 large eggs -- beaten
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 cup chopped cooked chicken or turkey
1/4 cup chopped onion
paprika

Preheat oven to 350°. Unroll dough into 2 long rectangles. Place in ungreased 9 X 13 pan and press firmly to form crust over bottom and 1/2 inch up sides. Sprinkle cheese over crust. Arrange broccoli over cheese. In small bowl combine eggs, soup, mayonnaise. Stir in chicken and onion. Pour over broccoli. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until filling is set. Cut into squares to serve 6 to 8



NOTES : This is a great, quick casserole using leftovers. For an extra bite, add some prepared mustard to the mayonnaise. This recipe is great reheated - just cover loosely with foil and heat for 15 - 20 minutes.