CARMEL APPLE PIZZA

This is part of a food challenge hosted by Lady Behind The Curtain where each month a different combination of foods and this month it is Apples and Carmel.   For more information if you would like to participate click here.

I made this based on this recipe at Food.com  by Adopted Parisian but have added my own touches. 

Here is the recipe:

-   1 tube of pre-made chocolate chip chip or sugar cookie dough 

-   1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, room temp 

-   1/2 cup packed brown sugar 

-   1/4 cup creamy peanut butter 

-   1 teaspoon vanilla 

-    2 green apples 

-   1 cup of lemon lime soda (optional) 

-   10 drops of lemon juice (optional) 

-   1/2 cup caramel topping

Preheat oven to 350° or whatever is indicated on the package.  Roll out dough into a large cookie enough cookie to cover a round pizza pan and place on pan (Sorry, picture did not come out for this one).  Bake 8-10 minutes or whatever is indicated on package, then allow it to cool.

Blend the cream cheese, brown sugar, peanut butter and vanilla  until well blended.

It should look like this when blended

Spread on cookie

Wash, core and then chop the apple in to thin slices.

Pour the lemon lime soda in a bowl with the lemon juice.  Add apples and toss (will prevent apples from browning)

Place the apple slices on the cookie.

Heat up carmel 30-40 seconds in the microwave and drizzle over the top of the pizza.  

I made my own carmel topping using this recipe, but you could use a commercially prepared topping instead.

CHEATERS PINEAPPLE ORANGE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

Tastes like it is from scratch, but you really "cheat" and use a mix instead.

Ingredients:

• 1 box cake mix, Pineapple or if none available, white or yellow
• Ingredients used for box mix - usually eggs, oil, but you will not use the water or liquid that the mix uses.
• 1 1/2 cups orange juice or 3/4 cup orange juice and 3/4 cup pineapple juice
• 1 stick butter or margarine
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 15 oz can pineapple (I used chunk, but you can use rings or crushed)
• Marichino Cherries - optional (I didn't use on this cake)
• 1-2 TBSP Rum or Rum Extract (I didn't use on this case, but have in the past)

Preheat the oven to the degree on the box mix. Put the stick or margarine in a 13x9 pan and put in the oven until melted (takes 2-3 mins).

Mix the cake mix, eggs, oil, and juices together until well blended.

Take the melted butter out of the oven. If you want to add rum or rum extract, mix it into the melted butter at this time.

Sprinkle the brown sugar, distributing evenly.

Distribute the pineapple evenly across the bottom of the pan. If you want to add marichino cherries, you would put them in amoungst the pineapple.

Pour the batter mixture over the top of the brown sugar and pineapple, distributing evenly.

Bake in the oven the time recommended on the package (usually around 30 minutes) and bake until the cake springs up in the center.

For presentation purposes, you could flip the cake over on to a baking sheet, or you could just leave it in the pan and flip the picces over as you serve them (which is more exciting if being served to kids that have never had upside down cake before because they will want to know why you didn't frost the cake and you cut the cake, take the spatula and flip it over on the plate and abbra cadabra, you the "frosting" is on the bottom!).

DATE PUDDING

My Mom and Grandmother used to make date pudding for holiday meals and this was the first time I have ever made it myself. I never got the family receipe so I went in search of one on the internet and found this one at Receipezaar. I increased the ingredients as I made mine in a 9 x13 cake pan as that was what my Mom and Grandmother always used.

This receipe turned out wonderfully gooey and good and dare I say it, better than what our family receipe was.

If you have never had date pudding, the closest thing I can think of that is similar is pecan pie, except there is no crust, you use walnuts instead of pecans and it is more like a rich gooey cake than pudding and is wonderful served warm with whipped topping.

http://www.recipezaar.com/Date-Pudding-78429?scaleto=12

Ingredients 2 cups packed dark brown sugar, divided into 1 1/2 cups and 1/2 cup 1 1/3 cups water 4 tsp. margarine 1 1/3 cups flour 2 2/3 teaspoons baking powder 1 pinch of salt 2/3 cup milk 1 1/3 cups chopped dates 1 cup walnuts (I used walnut halves, receipe calls for chopped walnuts) whipped cream

Preheat oven to 350°.

This make 12 large pieces of pudding/cake In a saucepan combine 1 1/2 cup brown sugar, water, and bring to a boil, cook for 3 minutes.

Remove from heat and add the margarine - this will make a syrup mixture

In a bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt, 1/2 cup sugar. Stir in milk until smooth.

Add dates and walnuts

Thoroughly mix the dates and walnuts in

. Pour syrup mixture into the pan

Add batter and push the batter down into the syrup mixture until fully and evenly distributed across the bottom of the pan. Bake for 35 minutes.

Serve warm with whipped cream.

CHERRY FLUFF

This is based on Lisa J.'s posting at Cut Out + Keep http://www.cutoutandkeep.net/projects/cherry_fluff I varied my recipe slightly and used the following:

• 1 16 oz tub of lite whipped topping
• 1 can Cherry pie filling
• 1 can Crushed Pineapple
• 1 4 oz box White Chocolate Sugar-Free Jello Pudding
• 4 Single Serving packets Equal (artificial sweetner) You can serve it slightly chilled or frozen. This would be an excellent dessert to cool off with on a hot summer day. I I do intend on making this again and next time adding coconut for a more tropical flavor.