What You Need:

5 tbsp of butter at room temperature
1 C of sugar
Zest from 2 lemons, grated fine
Zest from 1 orange, grated fine
3 large eggs, separated
3/4 C of flour
1 C of milk
Juice from 2 lemons
2 tbsp lemon curd

How to Make It:

Set the oven to 350 degrees and preheat.
Place the butter and sugar in a bowl and beat until creamy.
Add the lemon and orange zest and the egg yolks and beat until well combined.
Beat in half of the flour and half of the milk until blended in well.
Beat in the remaining flour and milk.
Fold in the lemon juice.
Place the egg whites in a bowl and beat until soft peaks form.
Fold the egg white mixture into the batter.
Spread the lemon curd over the bottom of a 1 qt. ovenproof, freezer safe dish.
Pour the batter over the curb.
Place the dish in a pan filled halfway up with warm water.
Bake 25 minutes or until golden brown.
Cool, wrap and freeze.
To serve, thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Heat the cake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 25 minutes or until warmed through.

Makes 4 servings

When reheating cake to check to see if it is warmed through use a metal skewer and insert it in the middle of the cake. If the skewer feels warm to the touch when removed the cake is warmed all the way through. If your cake seems to be browning too quickly cover it loosely with foil and continue heating.

Preparation Time: approximately 15 minutes
Cooking Time: approximately 25 minutes
Total Time: approximately 40 minutes

What You Need:

1 stick of butter at room temperature
2/3 C + 2 tbsp of sugar, divided
2 large eggs
1 1/2 C of self rising flour
2 sweet apples, cored, peeled and chopped
9 oz. of fresh blackberries
2 tbsp cold water

How to Make It:

Allow the oven to preheat to 350 degrees.
Place the butter and the sugar in a bowl.
Beat the mixture with a mixer until creamed.
Beat in 1 egg at time, adding 1 tbsp of flour after each egg.
Add the remaining flour and beat until blended in well.
Place the apples and blackberries into a 1 quart casserole dish.
Sprinkle with the remaining sugar.
Stir in the cold water.
Spread the flour mixture over the top.
Bake 45 minutes or until the top is golden brown and toothpick inserted in the center of topping comes out clean.
Let cool completely before wrapping and freezing.
To serve, thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Place in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until warmed through.

Makes 6 servings

For a little variety with this dessert reduce the flour to 1 1/4 C and add 1/4 C of unsweetened cocoa. Replace the blackberries with chopped pears.

Preparation Time: approximately 20 minutes
Cooking Time: approximately 45 minutes
Total Time: approximately 1 hour 05 minutes

These little bars make a great afternoon snack. Pull one or two out the freezer and let thaw over the morning to enjoy mid afternoon with a cup of piping hot coffee. When crushing the biscuits be careful not to crush them to fine. You need the biscuits to give your bars their texture.

You Need:

1 1/2 sticks of butter, cut into pieces
9 oz. semisweet chocolate, broken into pieces
2 tbsp light corn syrup
1 lb. sweet meal biscuits, crushed
2 tbsp cherries, chopped
1 tbsp pecans, chopped

How to Make It:

Butter an 8 inch square pan on the bottom and up the sides.
Place the butter, chocolate and syrup into a large saucepan.
Place the pan over low heat and stirring constantly cook 5 minutes until melted and smooth.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the biscuits, cherries and pecans.
Press the mixture into the buttered pan.
Refrigerate until completely cool then cut, wrap and freeze.
Thaw at room temperature before serving.

Makes 6 servings

Preparation Time: approximately 10 minutes
Total Time: approximately 10 minutes

These little desserts are a snap to make but they taste like you’ve been working at them all day. Dust them with a little unsweetened cocoa powder or shaved chocolate before serving.

What You Need:

5 1/2 oz. semisweet chocolate, broken into pieces
2 tbsp butter, cut into pieces
4 large eggs, room temperature and separated
1 pinch of salt
1/3 C of sugar
3 tbsp of strong coffee
2/3 C of heavy whipping cream

How to Make It:

Place the chocolate and butter into the top of a double boiler pan situated over simmering water.
Stirring constantly, heat the mixture until the chocolate and butter have melted and are smooth.
Remove from the heat and set aside to cool to room temperature.
Place the egg whites and the salt into a bowl.
Beat until stiff peaks form.
Add the sugar slowly beating as you add.
Stir the egg yolks into the cooled chocolate, one at a time.
Fold the egg white mixture into the chocolate mixture.
Add the coffee and stir until blended in well.
Fill 6 1/2 C freezer containers 2/3 full of the chocolate mixture.
Place the cream into a mixing bowl.
Beat until stiff peaks form.
Spoon the mixture onto the top of the chocolate.
Place in the freezer and freeze until solid.
Wrap and return to the freezer until ready to serve.
To serve, remove and let thaw at room temperature.

Makes 6 servings

Preparation Time: approximately 30 minutes
Total Time: approximately 30 minutes