Raspberry Fluff

Crust:

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 tbsp. sugar

3 tbsp. butter

Filling:

2/3 cup sugar

zest of 1 lemon

1 (8 oz.) pkg cream cheese, softened

juice of half lemon

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 (8 oz.) tub frozen whipped topping, thawed

1 cup fresh raspberries, slightly mashed

These are light and fluffy and a easy dessert to whip up for company.  The variations are limitless - change out the berries, make it lemon, or how about chocolate with oreo crust?

YUM!

Raspberry Muffins/ Peach Muffins

These were great!  Super moist and with great flavor.  I made these with raspberries and with peaches since I had both on hand.  I also added streusel topping to some of them.  I prefer the streusel on the peach and raspberry plain, but all of the options were yummy.

Raspberry Muffins

1/2 cup vanilla yogurt (you can use plain or lemon) 

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Juice from one lemon

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup white sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1 cup fresh raspberries (can use frozen)

2 tablespoons white sugar for decoration (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease a 12 cup muffin tin, or line with paper liners.

In a large bowl, mix together the yogurt, oil, lemon juice, eggs, and, lemon juice. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and mix until just blended. Gently stir in the raspberries. Spoon batter evenly into the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle remaining sugar over the tops for decoration, if desired. Or spoon over strussel topping.

Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the top springs back when lightly touched. Cool muffins in the tin on a wire rack.

Peach Muffins

I followed the same recipe as above, but I omitted the lemon juice, zest and of course the raspberries and added in 1 tablespoon cinnamon, and a little milk for some added moisture and then 2 cups pealed and diced peaches.

1/2 cup vanilla yogurt

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup white sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon cinnamon 

2 cups pealed and diced peaches 

1/4 cup milk

strussel topping (optional)

Strussel Topping

1 cup brown sugar 

6 tablespoons softened butter

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Chopped walnuts nuts (optional)

Mix ingredients with fork until clumpy spoon over muffins before baking.

Peach Cobbler

Peach Cobbler

1 cube butter

4-5 fresh peaches covered with 1 cup sugar OR

1 quart bottled peaches drained

1 cup flour

3/4 cup sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

3/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Melt butter in 9X13 pan.  Whisk all dry ingredients together in a bowl, add the milk and mix well.  More the batter over the butter in the 9X13, DO NOT MIX.  Then spoon the peaches over the batter, again DO NOT MIX.  The cake will rise up over the peaches while baking.  Bake for 50-55 minutes.  If you want a thicker, more cakey cobbler use a smaller pan, like an 8x8 and adjust the baking time.  Serve warm our of the oven with homemade vanilla or cinnamon ice cream.

Yum!

(This is also a great "store room" recipe.  By using bottled peaches and if necessary powdered milk.)

Cherry Bars

These are pretty and oh so yummy!
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 (21 ounce) cans cherry pie filling (I use 1 can)
GLAZE:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 tablespoons milk

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the extracts. Combine flour and salt; add to the creamed mixture. Mix just until combined. Spread 3 cups batter into a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan (I use two 8x8 pans). Spread with pie filling. Drop the remaining batter by teaspoonfuls over filling. (Be careful, this is a sticky dough.)

Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Combine the glaze ingredients; drizzle over bars.

P.S. My Mom doesn't like Cherry Pie or cherry pie filling and she really likes these, so give the cherry a try, but you can always swap out other canned pie filling if you so choose.