Show Us Your Life...DESSERTS!

Today is Show Us Your Life...Favorite Desserts. Isn't it funny how I was just sharing about some of my favorite desserts yesterday? I have to tell you, though, that I ate a chocolate dipped ice cream bar at Costco last night (one of my top 5 faves), and I just feel gross about it - still this morning! YUCK. It was just too much! Anyway....here are 3 of my VERY FAVORITE RECIPES. The first two I've made numerous times and they are a huge hit. The third one (strawberry cake) is a new recipe I just received from someone, and I can't wait to make it. I had this lady's strawberry cake from this recipes, and it was FABULOUS.

Grandma Hier's Carrot Cake (a Paula Deen Recipe!)

Ingredients
Butter , for pans
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
3 cups grated carrots
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans, optional

Frosting:
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese , room temperature
1 stick salted butter, room temperature
1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 3 (9-inch) round pans; Line bottom of the pans with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add eggs and vegetable oil. Using a hand mixer, blend until combined. Add carrots and pecans, if using. Pour into pans. Bake for approximately 40 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes. Remove from pans, place on waxed paper and allow to cool completely before frosting.
For the frosting:
Add all ingredients, except nuts, into a medium bowl and beat until fluffy using a hand mixer. Stir in the nuts. Spread frosting on top of each cake layer. Stack the cakes on a serving plate and serve.

I've made this carrot cake a bunch of times - it is AWESOME! I chop the carrots up really tiny though in the food processor since Landon doesn't really love carrots. And, I never put nuts in it because I don't like them - but that's a personal preference.

Ice Cream Delight

Ingredients

2 ½ cups cream-filled chocolate cookie crumbs, divided (I crushed these in the Black/Decker chopper—a few at a time)
½ cup butter or margarine, melted
½ cup sugar
½ gallon chocolate, coffee or vanilla ice cream, softened (I use vanilla)
1 ½ cups salted peanuts (I ground these in my Black/Decker chopper//I used half of this and sprinkled over only half of the dessert.)
1 carton (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed (Cool Whip J)
Chocolate Sauce:
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
2/3 cup semisweet choc. Chips
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
½ cup butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Combine 2 cups cookie crumbs with butter and sugar. Press into the bottom of a 13X9X2 in. pan. Freeze for 15 min. Spread ice cream over crumbs; freeze until firm, about 3 hours. Meanwhile, combine first four sauce ingredients in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Boil for 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in vanilla; allow to cool to room temperature. Spoon sauce over ice cream; sprinkle with nuts. Freeze until firm. Spread whipped topping over nuts and sprinkle with remaining cookie crumbs. Freeze at least 3 hours before serving. Can be stored in the freezer for up to a week.
Yield: 12-16 servings.

My mom has made this ice cream delight a couple of times when we've been home and I've made it several times at our house - it is delicious....

Strawberry Cake

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose Flour
1/2 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
1 pkg. (3 oz) strawberry gelatin
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 pkg. (10 oz) frozen strawberries, thawed

Strawberry Icing, below

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans. Combine flour, salt and soda; set aside. Beat eggs in large mixing bowl. Add oil, sugar, gelatin and buttermilk; stir vigorously until well-blended. Add flour mixture and blend well. Drain 1/2 cup juice from strawberries, reserve for Strawberry Icing. Fold berries into batter. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven. Cool 5 minutes, turn out of pan onto rack and cool completely. Frost with Strawberry Icing.

STRAWBERRY ICING
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 pound confectioner's sugar
**1/3 to 1/2 cup strawberry juice
Combine butter, softened, sugar and 1/3 to 1/2 cup juice until desired spreading consistency. Beat until creamy.
** Note: Add strawberry juice gradually, too much makes the frosting too thin and too little makes it impossible to spread. Also, if you don’t have ½ cup strawberry juice you can add water to obtain the desired consistency.

This is the only one I haven't actually made yet, but I have eaten it, and it is amazing...hence...why I asked for the recipe :) Yummy!

These desserts all sound good to me...but blah, I am still so full from that Costco bar last night!

Happy Friday! Remember....my parents are coming today!!!!! Yay!