Before I cut these bars into triangles, I usually trim the edges so all the cookies will look the same. My kids love that part since they get to eat the scraps.

12 whole graham crackers
2 cups miniature marshmallows
3/4 cup butter, cubed
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut


Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 15x10x1-in. baking pan with foil, letting foil extend over sides by 1 in.; lightly coat foil with cooking spray. Arrange graham crackers in prepared pan; sprinkle with marshmallows.

In a small saucepan, combine butter, brown sugar and cinnamon; cook and stir over medium heat until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.

Spoon butter mixture over marshmallows. Sprinkle with almonds and coconut. Bake until browned, 14-16 minutes. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.

Using foil, lift out of pan. Cut into triangles; discard foil.

​Pacoca (Brazilian peanut candy) is an easy treat that has only five ingredients! It's a popular sweet in Brazil, and after you try it, I'm sure you'll love it, too.


9 whole graham crackers
1-3/4 cups dry-roasted peanuts
2 tablespoons sugar
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dash Himalayan sea salt


Line a 9-in. square baking pan with parchment, letting ends extend up sides. Place graham crackers and peanuts in a food processor; pulse until just ground. Add sugar; process 10 seconds. Add sweetened condensed milk, vanilla and salt; pulse until dough comes together.
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Press dough into prepared pan. Refrigerate, covered, at least 4 hours or overnight. Lifting with parchment, remove from pan. Cut into squares. Store in an airtight container.

Just the name Momma invites you to a scrumptious expedition for a homemade pie affair.  This is a made from scratch beauty that will definitely be part of your famous pie recipes.


Dough for single-crust pie
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Dash salt
1-1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut


Preheat oven to 325°. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to a 1/8-in.-thick circle; transfer to a 9-in. pie plate. Trim to 1/2 in. beyond rim of plate; flute edge. Place pie plate on a rimmed baking sheet.
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In a large bowl, beat sugar, eggs, buttermilk, melted butter, flour, vanilla and salt until blended. Stir in coconut. Pour into crust. Bake until top is light golden brown and center is almost set, 50-60 minutes. Cool on a wire rack; serve or refrigerate within 2 hours.

When I got married in 1977, a woman at my parents’ church gave me this version of a popular Michigan treat. I sometimes pipe a bit of frosting onto each piece for decoration during the holidays.


2 teaspoons plus 1 cup butter, divided
4 cups sugar
1 cup 2% milk
25 large marshmallows
1 package (11-1/2 ounces) milk chocolate chips
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Decorating icing and sprinkles, optional


Line a 13x9-in. pan with foil; grease the foil with 2 teaspoons butter.

In a large heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, milk and remaining 1 cup butter. Bring to a rapid boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook, without stirring, for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Stir in marshmallows until melted. Add all chocolate; stir until melted. Stir in vanilla. Immediately spread into prepared pan; cool for 1 hour.
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Score into 1-in. squares. Refrigerate, covered, until firm, about 3 hours. Using foil, lift out fudge. Remove foil; cut fudge. Store between layers of waxed paper in airtight containers. Decorate as desired.

I love caramel, chocolate and pecans together. While I had recipes for cake, cheesecake and candy that feature this combination, I didn't have one for cookies. So I came up with this recipe.


1-1/2 cups butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup baking cocoa
1 package (10 ounces) miniature semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1 bottle (12-1/2 ounces) caramel ice cream topping
4 to 6 ounces dark chocolate candy coating, melted

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine flour and cocoa; gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips and pecans.

Roll into 1-in. balls. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Using the end of a wooden spoon handle, make a 3/8- to 1/2-in.-deep indentation in the center of each ball. Smooth any cracks. Fill each indentation half full with caramel topping.
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Bake at 350° for 15-18 minutes or until caramel is very bubbly and cookies are set. Cool for 5 minutes before removing to wire racks. Drizzle cooled cookies with candy coating.

Brown sugar and spice and everything nice—like cinnamon, coconut, oats and chips—are layered together in pretty jars of yummy, ready-to-bake cookies. It's a quick and easy gift idea that's appreciated any time of year. Remember to include preparation instructions and a list of any additional ingredients needed with your gift tag. 

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup butterscotch chips
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut


ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 large egg, room temperature
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a small bowl, combine the first five ingredients. In a 1-qt. glass jar, layer flour mixture, brown sugar, sugar, oats, chips and coconut, packing well between each layer. Cover and store in a cool, dry place up to 6 months. Yield: 1 batch (4 cups).

To prepare cookies: Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, beat butter, egg and vanilla. Add cookie mix and mix well.

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake 9-11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 2 minutes before removing to wire racks.​

This is an old coveted recipe handed down from many generations.  The tangy molasses works delightfully coupled with the sweet coconut topping.  A real winner!


1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup dark corn syrup
1/2 cup dark molasses
2 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
1/4 cup 2% milk
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
1 frozen deep-dish pie crust (9 inches)
Whipped cream, optional

​Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, combine the first 8 ingredients. Stir in coconut. Pour into crust; cover edges loosely with foil. Bake until center is set, 45-55 minutes. Remove foil; cool on a wire rack. If desired, serve with whipped cream.

A light vanilla cake is baked in a pie crust, with a fudgy chocolate layer that sinks from the top to settle below the cake as it bakes. It’s a curious kind of dessert, for sure, but with charming simplicity.

For the crust:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup cold shortening, cubed
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
6 to 8 Tbsp. ice water

For the cake layer:
1/2 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup whole milk

For the chocolate layer:
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup baking cocoa
1 cup boiling water
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

This recipe makes two pies, so enjoy one and give one to a friend (along with the recipe).

Step 1: Make Your Pastry Dough

In a large bowl, mix flour and salt; cut in shortening and butter until crumbly. Gradually add ice water, tossing with a fork until dough holds together when pressed. Divide dough in half. Shape each into a disk. Wrap; refrigerate for at least an hour or up to overnight.
If you like, you can use a premade pie crust to cut down on prep time.

Step 2: Roll It Out

On a lightly floured surface, roll half of the dough to an eighth-inch-thick circle; transfer to a nine-inch deep-dish pie plate. Trim crust to a half-inch beyond rim of plate; flute edge. Repeat with remaining dough. Refrigerate 30 minutes.

Step 3: Make Your Cake Batter

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, beat shortening and sugar until crumbly. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour and baking powder; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition. Divide batter between pie plates.

Step 4: Pour on the Chocolate

For the chocolate layer, in a small bowl, combine sugar and cocoa. Whisk in boiling water and vanilla until sugar is dissolved. Pour over cake layers.

Step 5: Bake It Up!

Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40-45 minutes. Cool completely on wire racks.
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When you pull it from the oven, you’ll see the chocolate layer has “flipped” to the bottom! How fun is that? The result is a fluffy cake with just a hint of sweetness sitting atop a rich, chocolatey layer and a flaky, golden crust. Slice it up and share your own sweet memories.

The divine flavors of this simple Black Forest cake will impress your guests and leave you with many requests for the recipe! 

• 1 can (21 ounces) cherry pie filling
• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 package devil's food cake mix
• Whipped cream

Preheat oven to 350°. Spoon pie filling into a greased 12-in. cast-iron or ovenproof skillet. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, flour and vanilla until blended. Gently beat in eggs. Pour over pie filling. Prepare cake mix according to package directions; spoon over cream cheese layer.
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Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 40-45 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate. If needed, spoon cherries from pan over cake. Top with whipped cream.

People from Ohio love buckeye candy! Buckeyes are a delicious combination of peanut butter and chocolate, which is exactly what this cookie is. All you need is a box of cake mix, a few common pantry ingredients, and voila—you have a tasty dessert ready for family and friends in under an hour. You can customize it, too, by substituting other mix-ins for the chocolate chips. They serve it warm with ice cream or whipped cream.


1 package chocolate cake mix (regular size)
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup canola oil
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
Optional: Hot fudge ice cream topping, vanilla ice cream, whipped cream and melted creamy peanut butter


Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, eggs and oil until blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Press half the dough into a 10-in. cast-iron or other ovenproof skillet. Combine peanut butter and confectioners' sugar; spread over dough in skillet. Press remaining dough between sheets of parchment into a 10-in. circle; place over filling.

Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs, 20-25 minutes. Serve warm, with optional ingredients as desired.