CHOCOLATE PECAN CHEWIES

 Ingredients
    1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
    2 cups (12 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips
    1/4 cup butter
    1 cup flour
    1/2 cup chopped pecans
    1 tsp. vanilla extract
    60 pecan halves (optional)

 Directions
    Combine condensed milk, chocolate chips and butter in a heavy 
    saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, 
    until chocolate and butter melt. Remove from heat.
    Stir in flour, chopped pecans, and vanilla. 
    Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. 
    Press a pecan half into the center of each cookie (optional.) 
    Bake at 350 degrees F. for 7 minutes. (Do not over bake.) 
    Bake ahead and freeze...will keep up to 3 months!
    Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool.

          CHOCOLATE COVERED BISCOTTI

 Ingredients
    2 1/2 cups flour
    3/4 cup sugar
    1/4 cup butter, softened
    1 Tbs. anise seed
    2 tsp. baking powder
    1/4 tsp. salt 3 eggs
    1 tsp. vanilla
    1/2 cup chopped walnuts
    Chocolate dip:
    1 8oz pkg. semi sweet chocolate squares
    1 Tbs. shortening

 Directions
    Mix 1-1/2 cups flour and all the other ingredients except 
    the nuts with a mixer. Increase speed and beat 3 minutes.
    By hand, stir in remaining flour and nuts.  
    Refrigerate 1 hour until firm. 
    Preheat oven 375 degrees. Divide dough in half. 
    On a well floured board, shape 2 loaves 12"x2". 
    Place on greased sheet 2" apart and bake 
    for 20 minutes on 375 F. 
    Remove from oven. With a serrated bread knife slice
    into 1" bars. Turn on sides and bake 15 minutes or until 
    golden. Cool on rack. Melt semi sweet chocolate squares 
    with shortening. Dip cookies into chocolate and place on 
    wax paper to dry. 

          VALENTINE'S DAY HEART COOKIES

 Ingredients
    1/4 cup packed brown sugar  
    2 tsp. grated lemon zest  
    1/2 tsp. lemon extract  
    1/4 tsp. vanilla extract  
    1 cup flour  
    1/4 tsp. salt 
    1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened 

 Directions
    Preheat oven to 325°F. In a medium bowl, beat butter or 
    margarine and brown sugar with an electric mixer on 
    medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in lemon zest, 
    lemon extract, and vanilla. Add flour and salt to the butter 
    and blend well. With a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface,
    roll out dough 1/4 inch thick. 
    Cut out cookies using a 3 inch round heart cutter and place 
    2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Reroll scraps. 
    Sprinkle red and pink sugar crystals on each cookie.
    Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until cookies are pale golden, not brown. 
    Let stand 2 minutes. Remove to a rack and let cool completely.

          FAT FREE LEMON CUSTARD BARS

 Ingredients
    Crust:
    Butter flavored cooking spray
    1/4 cup fat-free margarine
    1 Cup powdered sugar
    1 Cup Flour
    1/8 tsp. salt
    1 tsp. vanilla extract
    Topping:
    1/2 cup egg whites
    1 Cup sugar
    2 Tbs. flour
    1/4 tsp. baking powder
    1/8 tsp. salt
    1 tsp. finely grated lemon rind
    3 Tbs. lemon juice
    Powdered sugar to dust top

 Directions
    Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
    Spray and 8 inch square pan with cooking spray and wipe 
    with a paper towel. In a medium sized bowl, combine 
    crust ingredients and mix well. 
    Spread crust dough over bottom of the pan.
    In a small bowl, combine topping ingredients and mix well.  
    Pour the topping over the crust.  
    Bake for 27-30 minutes. Cool completely before cutting 
    bars and serving.  Dust bars with powdered sugar when cool.

          STRAWBERRY APPLE CAKE

 Ingredients
    4 cups sifted flour
    4 eggs well beaten
    2 tsp baking powder
    3 large apples peeled sliced & coarsely chopped
    2 tsp baking soda
    1 cup strawberry preserves
    1/4 tsp salt
    2  tsp vanilla
    1 cup shortening
    2/3 cup to 1 cup sour milk
    2 cups sugar

 Directions
    Sift dry ingredients, cream shortening and sugar until light 
    and fluffy.  Add beaten eggs and beat well.  
    Add alternately dry ingredients and liquid, mixing thoroughly 
    after each addition. Then add fruit and vanilla.  
    Pour into 13x9"pan or 10" tube pan which has been greased and 
    lightly floured. Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour. 
    When done let mix cool on wire rack.

          CHOCOLATE OATMEAL GOODIES

 Ingredients
    2 Cups sugar
    3/4 Cup peanut butter
    1/2 Cup butter
    3 Cups oatmeal
    1/2 Cup milk
    1 tsp vanilla 
    4 tablespoons cocoa

 Directions
    Boil sugar butter and milk for one minute.  
    Add rest of ingredients and stir well.  
    Drop by spoonfuls onto wax paper and let cool for one hour.

          DIRT CAKE

 Ingredients
    1 (20 oz) package chocolate sandwich cookies with creme filling
    1/4 cup butter, softened
    1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
    1 cup powdered sugar
    1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    4 (3 oz) packages instant chocolate pudding mix
    6 cups milk
    1 (12 oz) container whipped topping
    20 gummy worms

 Directions
    Finely chop the chocolate cookies in a food processor or blender.
    Combine the butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla.
    Mix on low speed until smooth. Add the chocolate pudding and
    milk. Blend until mixed through.
    Fold the whipped topping into the pudding mixture.
    In either a 9x13 ungreased pan, a litter pan or a flower pot,
    alternate layers of chopped cookies and pudding mixture. 
    Start with a layer of about 1/3 of the cookies, followed by 
    1/2 of the pudding mixture, then 1/3 of the cookies, 
    then 1/2 of the pudding mixture, then lastly, 1/3 of the cookies.
    Carefully arrange the gummy worms in the top layer of the cookies. 
    You might want to bury some of them in the "dirt" and leave some of 
    them poking out of the dirt. You might even want to make some of 
    them look like they are escaping from the pan.
    If you're feeling creative, this recipe can be prepared in either
    a cat litter pan (new and unused, please!) and then served with a
    pooper scooper rather than a spatula. Or, it can be made in a
    large flower pot, decorated with small plastic flowers and then
    served with a small trowel.

          BOSTON CREAM PIE

 Ingredients
    Cake:
    4 Eggs
    1 cup Cake Flour, sifted 
    3/4 tsp. Baking Powder
    1/4 tsp. Salt
    3/4 tsp. Baking Powder
    1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
    1 tsp. Lemon Juice
    Custard Filling:
    1 1/2 cups Milk
    1 pkg. Vanilla Pudding and Pie filling Mix (3 1/4 oz)
    1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
    Chocolate Glaze:
    2 ounces Unsweetened Chocolate 
    3 Tbs. Butter
    1 cup Powdered sugar
    3/4 tsp. Vanilla Extract

 Directions
    Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In large bowl, let eggs warm 
    to room temperature. At medium speed, beat 
eggs until thick.  
    Gradually beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until very 
    thick and light, about 5 minutes. In a large bowl, sift flour 
    with baking powder and salt. In a small bowl combine
    1/4 cup water, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and lemon juice.
    Blend flour mixture, one-third at a time, into egg mixture,
    alternately with water mixture. Beat 1 minute.
    Turn into 2 ungreased, 9-inch layer pans, dividing evenly.
    Bake about 25 minutes on 350 degrees F, until surface springs back
    Remove cakes from pan and cool for 1 hour. 
    Custard Filling:
    Make pudding as label directs, reducing milk to 1 1/2 cups and 
    add 1 teaspoon vanilla. Cool, cover with plastic wrap and 
    refrigerate. 
    Chocolate Glaze: 
    In small saucepan, melt chocolate and butter over low heat.
    Remove from heat and add sugar and 3/4 teaspoon vanilla mixing 
    until smooth. Stir in 2 1/2 to 3 tablespoons hot water, 
    one at a time, until glaze is of pouring consistency. 
    Assemble first layer on a cake plate.  Put filling 
    in between the 2 layers and place other layer on top.
    Pour glaze over top, letting it run down sides. 
    Refrigerate about 1/2 hour.

          PINEAPPLE DELIGHT W/JELL-O

 Ingredients
    1 Can Crushed Pineapple (drained, reserving juice)
    Water (to make 1 pint)
    1 Small Pack Lemon Jell-O
    15 to 20 Marshmallows
    1/2 Pint Whipping Cream

 Directions
    Add water to the pineapple juice to make 1 pint. 
    Heat to boiling and pour over the Jell-O. 
    Add the marshmallows and stir until dissolved. 
    Refrigerate until firm then add the crushed pineapple
    and whipping cream. Stir together and refrigerate.