Yogurt Zucchini Bread

1. 1 cup walnut halves (4 ounces)
2. 2 cups all-purpose flour
3. 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
4. 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
5. 1/2 teaspoon salt
6. 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
7. 2 large eggs
8. 1/2 cup vegetable oil
9. 1/2 cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt
10. 1 cup coarsely grated zucchini (from about 1 medium zucchini)

1. Preheat the oven to 325°. Butter and flour a 9-by-4 1/2-inch metal loaf pan. Spread the walnut halves in a pie plate and toast them for about 8 minutes, until they are fragrant. Transfer the toasted walnuts to a cutting board and coarsely chop them, then freeze for 5 minutes to cool.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the flour with the baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a medium bowl, mix the sugar with the eggs, vegetable oil and fat-free yogurt. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients along with the grated zucchini and toasted walnuts and stir until the batter is evenly moistened. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 1 hour and 10 minutes, until the loaf is risen and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the loaf cool on a rack for 30 minutes before unmolding and serving.

MAKE AHEAD The zucchini loaf can be wrapped tightly in plastic and kept at room temperature for up to 4 days, or frozen in plastic and foil for up to 1 month.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

2 cups quick-cooking oats
1 3/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup butter
1/2 cup chopped peanuts
1 cup (6 oz. pkg.) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 large egg, beaten
1 (14 oz.) can Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/2 cup Creamy Peanut Butter

HEAT oven to 350°F. Combine oats, brown sugar, flour, baking powder and baking soda in large bowl. Cut in butter with pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in peanuts.
RESERVE 1 1/2 cups crumb mixture. Stir egg into remaining crumb mixture. Press onto bottom of 13 x 9-inch baking pan.
BAKE 15 minutes.
STIR together sweetened condensed milk and peanut butter in small bowl until well combined. Pour evenly over partially baked crust.
STIR together reserved crumb mixture and chocolate chips. Sprinkle evenly over peanut butter layer.
BAKE an additional 15 minutes. Cool. Cut into bars.

Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake

1 cup butter, softened
1 package cream cheese (8oz), softened
1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup milk
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and cream cheese an 1 1/4 cup sugar. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture alternately with milk. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into a greased 9 inch springform pan. Combine the pecans, cinnamon and remaining sugar and sprinkle over batter. Bake at 350F for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes. Carefully run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen cake. Remove sides of pan. Cool completely before cutting.

Side Note: Picture does not show the cake with pecans. Made this nut free.

Marshmallow Fun Bars

Ingredients
1 package devil's food cake mix
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 egg
3 cups miniature marshmallows
1 cup milk chocolate M&M's
1/2 cup chopped peanuts

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, water, butter and egg. Press into a greased 13x9 inch pan. Bake at 375F for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Sprinkle with marshmallows, M&M's and peanuts. Bake 2-3 minutes longer or until the marshmallows begin to melt. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into bars.

SIDE NOTE: The next time I bake this I am going to undercook the cake mix mixture because when I baked it for 20 minutes, and then put it back into the oven in order for the marshmallows to melt, then it was to hard around the edges for me.

I did not add peanuts as I was baking this for my staff and we have nut allergies and I substituted chocolate chunks instead of M&M's because I didn't have any in the house.

Pistachio Cake

Ingredients

INGREDIENTS FOR THE CAKE:

1 box yellow cake mix

3 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

1 box instant pistachio pudding

1 cup milk or ginger ale (I used milk)

1 cup pecans, chopped fine

INGREDIENTS FOR THE ICING:

9 oz carton of cool whip

1 cup powdered sugar

8 oz carton of sour cream

1/2 cup milk

1 bx instant pistachio pudding               

         

Directions

Mix all ingredients for cake well and pour into a greased 13x9-inch pan. Bake 25-30 minutes in oven preheated to 350 degrees. Let cool completely before icing.

For icing: Fold, do not beat, ingredients together in a bowl with a spatula. Ice cake. Place in refrigerator after icing.

I like to use cream cheese frosting when I make cakes so I used that instead of the recipe listed above.

1 8 oz box of cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 cups icing sugar

Apple Zucchini Bread

Ingredients

3 c	white whole wheat flour or just whole wheat
1	zucchini about medium size shredded
1	apple golden delicious or gala shredded
2	eggs
1 1/2 c	apple sauce unsweetened.
1 1/2 Tbsp	ground cinnamon
1 tsp	baking powder
1 tsp	baking soda
1 tsp	salt
1/4 c	honey
1/4 c	vegetable oil
1 1/2 c	sugar
1 c	chopped nuts pecans or walnuts
2 Tbsp	pure vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and prepare your loaf pans.
Start shredding your zucchini and apple. Don't drain the zucchini set aside. Mix in apple sauce, eggs, oil, vanilla extract, honey and sugar and set mixture aside.

Sift flour with salt, cinnamon, baking powder and baking soda. Fold in into zucchini mixture with wooden spoon or mixer until well combined. Divide batter into 2 loaf pans. Cook for 50-60 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. My oven takes about 50 minutes but every oven is different.

Take out of oven and let it cool in pan for 10 minutes. Take out of pan and let the loafs cool on a wire rack or cutting board for 20 minutes. Start slicing and enjoy with butter or jam if desired or just by itself is really good.

Zucchini Drops

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups grated zucchini, unpeeled
1 tsp. vanilla

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups raisins
1 cup chopped walnuts

Cream butter and sugar together. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add zucchini and vanilla.

Stir remaining ingredients together and add to other mixture.Mix well. Drop by spoonfuls onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 350F oven for 12-15 minutes. Makes 5 dozen.