Recipe Type: Desserts

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8-inch square baking pan with nonstick spray.

Melt butter and chocolate in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, whisking in the cocoa powder until smooth. Let cool about 5 minutes.

Stir sugar into the chocolate mixture. Stir in eggs, one at a time, and mix well. Stir in peppermint extract. Add flour, gently stirring until combined.

Pour batter into the pan, spreading evenly. Bake about 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Do not overbake. Let cool completely.

Melt chocolate chips in microwave at 50 percent power in 30-second intervals, stirring until melted. Drizzle chocolate over brownies, then sprinkle with crushed candy canes.

1. Make a pastry crust: Place the flour, sugar and butter in a food processor, and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add the vinegar, water and vanilla and process until dough just begins to form. Turn out onto a clean surface, and gently bring the dough together. Shape into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll out the pastry between 2 sheets of nonstick baking paper to a 14- by 16-inch oval, and about ⅛-inch thick. Place on a large lightly greased baking tray lined with nonstick baking paper.
3. Spread pastry flat and sprinkle with ground pecans, leaving a 5-centimeter border.
4. Place the stone fruits and sugar in a large bowl and toss to coat. Top the pecans with the fruit mixture, discarding any excess liquid, and fold over the edges of the pastry, pressing lightly to seal.
5. Brush the pastry with the egg and sprinkle with sugar. Refrigerate for 10 minutes or until firm. Cook for 30 minutes or until the pastry is golden. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Serve with Hiland Vanilla Ice Cream.

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In an ungreased 9-inch square baking pan, combine butter and brown sugar. Arrange pineapple slices in a single layer over sugar. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, beat egg yolks until thick and lemon-colored. Gradually add sugar, beating well. Blend in vanilla and reserved pineapple juice. Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add flour mixture to batter, beating well.
3. In a small bowl with clean beaters, beat egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form; fold into batter. Spoon into pan.
4. Bake 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before inverting onto serving plate. Place a cherry in the center of each pineapple slice.

1. Combine all ingredients in heavy saucepan except fruit, peel fruit leaving stem attached, gently place in saucepan, if needed add water to cover pears or additional wine. Bring to a simmer and cook gently for 10 to 20 minutes until done. Remove fruit carefully to serving dish, rapidly boil down liquid to about 1 cup, use as a glaze for fruit if desired or jar and refrigerate for future use.
2. Can be served whole with a dollop of whipped cream or yogurt for an elegant desert, sliced as an accompaniment, or on a bed of bid lettuce leaves with blue cheese Mango Lemon Fruit Butter dressing.

1. Placed washed cherries in the refrigerator to chill, in the meantime make dressing.
2. Combine and spoon over Bing Cherries that are being served in a stemmed dish/goblet. If desired, remove pits and stems leaving the cherry on top intact.

1. In a large mixing bowl beat the eggs until soft peaks, then add sugar 2 tablespoons at a time, beating until egg whites form stiff peaks (do not add sugar too quickly).
2. Add the flour and gently fold it into the egg white mixture, ¼ cup at a time.
3. Bake in a tube pan at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Invert pan to cool. Remove from pan.

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
2. Whisk together ½ cup sugar and egg yolks in bowl until well blended. Mixture should begin to lighten in color. Add vanilla and then cream, a little at a time, until thoroughly incorporated.
3. Pour mixture into 6 (7- or 8-ounce) ramekins. Place ramekins into a large cake pan. Pour enough water into the half to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake until just set, about 40 to 45 minutes. The crème brulee should not be liquidy but should still be slightly jiggly.
4. Remove ramekins from cake pan. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow it to fully set up.
5. Remove crème brulee from refrigerator about 30 minutes before serving. Divide remaining ½ cup sugar equally among the six dishes, spreading evenly on top. Use a small torch to melt sugar, forming a crisp topping. Allow crème brulee to sit 5 minutes before serving.

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, beat butter, sugars, vanilla and egg with electric mixer on medium until light and fluffy. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt. The dough will be stiff. Stir in chopped chocolate, pretzels, toffee bits and candied pecans.
2. Measure ¼ cup scoops of cookie dough, and place on cookie sheets. Slightly flatten dough. Sprinkle a pinch of sea salt onto each ball of cookie dough.
3. Bake 14-15 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool 5 minutes before removing from cookie sheets to cooling racks.

1. To make crust – preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all the dry ingredients. Add honey, syrup, and vanilla. Stir together well (it may be necessary to use your hands to do this step thoroughly). On an extra large sheet parchment-paper-lined cookie sheet, spread granola and bake for 10-15 minutes, continuously rotating the mixture to cook all sides of granola until slightly crunchy.
2. Press warm granola into another extra large cookie sheet (or 2 medium cookie sheets).
3. Cream the softened cream cheese thoroughly. Add the Amelia yogurt and vanilla into the cream cheese, and mix slowly until well blended. Add 3⁄4 of the blueberries, half the almonds, and white chocolate chips. Spread out evenly across the granola. Top with extra blueberries and almonds. Place in the freezer overnight.
4. Remove and slice into squares and serve. Any that are not eaten place into a covered container and place back into the freezer. Will keep for a week.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixer, cream together butter, peanut butter, sugar and brown
   sugar until smooth. Add egg and vanilla, beating until smooth.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Slowly add dry ingredients to butter
   mixture, beating until incorporated.
3. Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Place on cookie sheet. Flatten slightly with the bottom of a glass jar. Bake about 12 minutes or until slightly golden brown.
4. As soon as cookies are out of the oven, place a red M&M for the nose in each cookie. Place two
   brown M&Ms above the nose for the eyes. Insert two pretzel pieces for the antlers.
   Note: If the antlers won’t “stick,” use a little piped melted chocolate to hold the pretzels in place.