Aunt Louise's toffe

This has become a Jones family favorite at weddings. Aunt Sharon always puts it on the dessert table at her gorgeous weddings.

1 lb. Butter
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. real vanilla
dash of salt

Melt butter in med. Sauce pan and add sugar stirring with wire whisk and cook on med. Hi heat until mixture is thick, bubbly and a smoky caramel color. Add vanilla and salt at the very end and pour out on buttered cookie sheet in the center (oval shape) Place See’s chocolate pieces (2 bags) on top or Hershey’s milk chocolate bar (giant bar) and wait for it to melt and then spread with metal spatula evenly over top and sprinkle with chopped sliced toasted almonds. You can use whole almonds by placing them on the cookie sheet before pouring out mixture, or enjoy the toffee plain with the nuts on top of the chocolate

Sister Jensen's Chocolate Cake

Sister Jensen was a neighbor of Mom’s when she was young. As kids we’d always go see her when we were visiting Grandma Jo. Her cake is delicious and makes a perfect birthday cake!

1 Duncan Hines German Chocolate cake mix (Baked in two round layers and cooled)

1 pint whipping cream
1 large chocolate Hershey’s bar
pinch of baking soda
2 Heaping Tbsp. Powdered sugar
3 Tbsp. Milk

Put cake in freezer for a little while just so it is firm and easy to work with. Whip cream using a kitchen aid or hand mixer with a pinch of baking soda, when cream is stiff add sugar. Apply cream in the center of the layers, on top and on the sides so the entire cake is covered as well as the middle. Then put in the freezer for about 15-20 minutes.

Put milk in double broiler and put chocolate in- add more milk if too thick. Once chocolate is melted good, drizzle over top of cake letting it run down the sides.

German Chocolate Frosting

Grandma Jo used to make German chocolate cake for Grandpa. It has become a family favorite, as it is Dad’s favorite cake! Mom would always make this on Dad’s birthday!
This delicious filling is a favorite with German chocolate cake. Mom used this recipe in many of her wedding cakes and birthday cakes. It can be used to top a cake and looks great!

1 c. evaporated milk
1 c. sugar
3 egg yolks
1/2 lb. Butter
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 1/3 c. Baker’s Angel Flake Coconut
1 c. finely chopped pecans

Combine milk, sugar, egg, butter and vanilla in saucepan and cook over medium heat until thickened for about 12 minutes. Remove from heat. Add coconut and pecans. Beat until thick.

Hello Dolly Cookies

Mom grew up eating these cookies at her best friend Mary Carol’s home. She loved the cookies so much she began to make them herself!

1/2 c. butter
1 1/2 to 2 c. crushed graham crackers
1 c. chocolate chips (milk chocolate)
1 c. coconut
1 c. chopped nuts
1 can eagle brand milk

In a 9 x 13 baking dish spread cracker crumbs and top with melted butter. Then layer chocolate chips, coconut and nuts over the crumbs evenly. Drizzle the milk over everything. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes

Caramel Nut Squares

Caramels are one of the best parts of Christmastime in the Jones family! A Christmas cannot go by without Mom slaving over the hot bubbling pot of Caramels. Many a night was spent cutting and wrapping them in wax paper to give away to family and friends. We always love to hear Aunt Sally and Uncle Keith oohing and aahing over them!

1 1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. light brown sugar, firmly packed.
Dash of Salt
2 c. light corn syrup
1/2 c. butter or margarine
1 2/3 c. evaporated milk (one can)
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
1 c. finely chopped pecans or halves (lay them on buttered cookie sheet.)

Lightly butter a small cookie sheet or baking dish. (Lay nuts on dish or pan.) In a saucepan, mix sugars, salt and syrup. Over high heat, bring to boiling, stirring occasionally until in a small amount of cold water, forms into a firm ball (almost crack ball stage). You should be able to pull it and have a thin string that will break. (when cold) Continue to boil over high heat, add butter, and add milk gradually stirring constantly. Lower to medium heat once milk and butter are added. Continue stirring until caramel is the consistency of a firm ball when placed in cold water. It should set up to the consistency of a chewy caramel.

Remove from heat. Add vanilla and mix well. Let stand until it stops bubbling. Pour into buttered pan. Cool to room temperature. Refrigerate 2 hours. Cut into 1 inch squares

Aunt Sally's Pumpkin Pie

This is a family favorite recipe- a lighter, less rich version of pumpkin pie. It tastes best cold topped with a dab of whipped cream.

1/2 tsp. Salt
2/3 c. Sugar
1 rounding Tbsp. Flour
1/2 tsp. Nutmeg
1/4 tsp. Clove
1 tsp. Cinnamon
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/4 c. pumpkin
2 c. milk

(Makes 9” pie)
Sift together in bowl: salt, sugar, flour and spices, add beaten egg. Mix in pumpkin and stir in heated milk gradually. Bake at 450 for 15 minutes. Then turn to 350 until solid (approx. 30 minutes more)

Buttercream frosting

Mom’s famous wedding cakes are made with this delicious frosting. It is the best butter cream out there! It is also used to for sugar cookies that are a favorite for Valentines Day, Halloween, and of course Christmas

1 lb. Butter
1 lb. Crisco
4-5 egg whites (or sm. Recipe Meringue powder on can)
1/4 c. granulated sugar
1-2 tsp. White vanilla (brown will work but white keeps icing whiter)
dash of salt
2-3 lbs powdered sugar


Beat egg whites until stiff peaks start to form and then add granulated sugar, set egg whites and sugar aside. In separate bowl beat butter and Crisco until smooth and fluffy. Then start to add powdered sugar and egg whites- alternating until you have proper consistency. You want to add powdered sugar until icing is stiff and doesn’t taste too greasy. Then add a couple dashes of salt and vanilla. Beat for approximately 5 minutes or more after all ingredients have been added. Icing should be fluffy and white. A mixing unit such as a kitchen aid is ideal for this recipe. Hand mixers tend to break dow

Carrot Cake

Mom’s famous wedding cakes consisted of this delicious recipe (among others). She got this recipe from Aunt Teddi who won a blue ribbon for it in the Utah state fair!


1 1/2 c. Wesson oil
2 c. sugar
4 eggs (add one at a time)
Sift together- 2 c. and 2 tbsp. flour
2 tsp. Cinnamon
1/2 tsp. Salt
2 tsp. Baking soda
3 c. grated carrots
1/2 c. raisins (optional, mom doesn’t do)
1/2 c. nuts (pecans or walnuts work best)

Mix ingredients in large mixing bowl (Kitchen aid works great) in order listed above.
Bake at 325 in a 9x13 pan.

Top with Cream Cheese frosting, click here for link to it's recipe.

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz. package of Philadelphia Cream Cheese
3/4 c. butter
1 lb. powdered sugar
1-2 tsp. Vanilla

Beat cream cheese and butter in mixer until smooth. Add powdered sugar slowly. Add vanilla and whip until light and fluffy.

This tastes great on Carrot cake or devils food cake.

Libby's Pumpkin Roll

Ok, I'm just going to say this does not sound easy, but oh my goodness is it worth it!!! It's really not that hard, just "a piece of cake." If you like pumpkin and cream cheese, you're gonna need to try this!!! I've always wanted to make this, it's DELICIOUS!!! Very impressive looking.

CAKE:

3/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. salt

3 large eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup pumpkin

1 cup chopped walnuts (optional, & I think coconut might be good too)

FILLING:

1 8 oz. package cream cheese ( I use 1/3 less fat, and still alright, probably not as good) softened

1 cup sifted powdered sugar

6 tbsp butter or margarine (I also used less, more like 3 tbsp)

1 tsp vanilla

powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350* (it says 375* and I just noticed that, I did 350*). Cut wax paper to fit a jelly roll pan, grease and flour the paper. Sprinkle a thin, (I'm going to add clean right here, a little obvious, but you know...) cotton kitchen towel with powdered sugar.

CAKE: Combine flour and dry ingredients in small bowl. Beat eggs and sugar in large bowl. Beat in pumpkin. Stir in flour mixture. Spread evenly into prepared pan. Sprinkle with nuts.

Bake for 11-13 minutes or until top of cake springs back when touched. Immediately loosen and turn cake onto prepared towel. Carefully peel off wax paper. Roll up cake and towel together starting with narrow end. Cool on wire rack.

FILLING: BEAT cream cheese, sugar, butter, vanilla until smooth. Carefully unroll cake, remove the towel. Spread the cream cheese mixture over cake. Re-roll cake, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired.

Gooey Pumpkin Butter Cake

I made this last week for a friends birthday and, WOW was it good. Perfect recipe for fall!

Cake mixture:
1 18.25 box yellow cake mix
1 egg
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 15 ounce can of pumpkin pie filling

Filling:
1 8 ounce package cream chees, softened
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 16 ounce box confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 13*9*2 inch baking pan.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine cake mix, egg, pumpkin,and butter and mix well. Pat into the bottom of prepared pan and set aside. Still using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth; add eggs and vanilla. Dump in powdered sugar and beat well. Reduce speed of mixer and slowly pour in butter. Mix well. Pour filling onto cake mixture and spread evenly. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Don't be afraid to make a judgement call on the cookin time, because oven temps ca vary. You want the center to be a little gooey, so don't bake it past that point! Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Cut into squares. just remember that these wonderful little cakes are very, very rich, and a little will go a long way- even for piggies like me!