I have been known to go to buffets just for the desserts.  I love dessert.  And for me it is just as satisfying, if not more so, to make a dessert.  You transform a pile of ordinary ingredients into a beautiful creation.  I guess it is fair to say that this is the case with any culinary effort.  But with most cooking recipes the ingredients goes from raw to cooked, and stay basically in the same form.  With baking, it starts as a batter and come out art.  Baking also requires a good amount of precision for it come out just right.  This can cause some intimidation, but it shouldn’t.  If you use this right ingredients and follow the directions carefully, your results will be delightful.  Here are a few classic dessert recipes to try.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:
• 1 1/2 cup (3 sticks) butter, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 Tbl vanilla instant pudding powder
• 2 Tbl milk
• 2 Tbl vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 4 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 4 cups chocolate chips
• 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans(optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 °F.
2. Beat butter and sugars together until light and fluffy.
3. Stir in pudding mix, milk and vanilla extract.
   Sponsored Links

   what’s this?

   World’s Best Garlic Bread

   Recipe over 120 years old – marvelous for Garlic Butter/Bread – http://www.GarlicValleyFarms.com

   1 Trick to Burn Body Fat

   Ab exercises don’t burn body fat, but this unique method does. – www.TruthAboutStomachFat.com

   Customized Vitamin Packs

   Don’t settle for a generic pack of vitamins. Get packs based on you! – www.VitaminDNA.com

   Beat in eggs.

4. Add dry ingredients and stir until combined.
5. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.
6. Place 1 1/2 inch balls of dough 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
7. Bake 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.

Apple Pie

Ingredients

• 1 pastry crust for a deep-dish pie 9-inch (homemade or store-bought)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 6 cups thinly sliced peeled apples, try golden delicious and granny smith apples.
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1/4 cup caramel sauce or topping

Crumb topping
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup quick cooking rolled oats
• 1/2 cup butter

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 °F.
2. Prepare the crumb mixture: stir together brown sugar, flour, rolled oats and then cut in butter until topping is like course crumbs. Set aside.
3. Line pie plate with crust if using homemade.
4. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt.  Add apple slices and gently toss until coated.
5. Transfer apple mixture to the pie shell.
6. Sprinkle crumb topping over apple mixture.
7. Place pie on a cookie sheet.  Cover edges of pie with aluminum foil. Bake for 25 minutes. Then remove foil and put back in for another 25 to 30 minutes.
8. Remove from oven.  Sprinkle pie with chopped pecans then drizzle with caramel on top.
9. Cool and enjoy warm or at room temperature.

Pound Cake

Ingredients
• 3 cups flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 pound butter (4 sticks)
• 1 pound sugar (2 cups)
• 6 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ½ cup buttermilk

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F.  Grease and flour loaf or bundt pan.
2. Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt
   into a large mixing bowl.
3. In another bowl,  cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
4. Stir in the eggs, one at a time.
5. Stir in vanilla and buttermilk.
6. Mix in dry ingredients.
7. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for about 1 hour and 20 mins.
8. Cool for 10-15 mins before serving.