Desserts

Lisa Lockheart, Moline, IL

“Either you love bread pudding, or you don’t! This is comfort food for my family.”

Bread Pudding

Ingredients:

10-ounce loaf stale French bread, crumbled (about 6-8 cups)

4 cups milk

2 cups sugar

8 tbsp butter, melted

3 eggs

2 tbsp vanilla extract

1 cup raisins

1 cup coconut, shredded

1 cup pecans, chopped

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

Directions:

1. Combine all of the ingredients. Mixture should be moist but not soupy.
2. Pour into a buttered 9×12 inch or larger baking dish.
3. Place into a non-preheated oven.
4. Turn the oven on to 350° F and bake for approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Serve warm with whisky sauce.

Whisky Sauce

Ingredients:

½ cup butter (1 stick)

1 ½ cup powdered sugar

2 egg yolks

½ cup bourbon, to taste

Directions:

1. Cream the butter and sugar over medium heat until the butter is absorbed.
2. Remove from heat and blend in the egg yolks.
3. Pour bourbon in gradually to your own taste, stirring constantly. Sauce will thicken as it cools.
4. Serve over the warm bread pudding.

Denise C. Richardson, Colona, IL

“Dependable resulting cake and frosting!”

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 cups sugar

4 large eggs

1 ½ cups of vegetable salad oil

2 tsp vanilla extract

3 cups carrots, grated

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
2. In a small bowl mix together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, with an electric mixer mix together sugar and eggs. Drizzle in the vegetable oil.
4. Add in the flour mixture and mix. Add in the vanilla extract.
5. Add in the grated carrots and mix.
6. Pour in a greased and floured 9×13 inch baking pan and bake for 55 minutes to 1 hour, depending on your oven temperature.

Frosting:

Ingredients:

8 ounces cream cheese, softened at room temperature

½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened to room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 to 3 ½ cups of powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Beat all ingredients with an electric mixer. It will burn out a hand mixer if cream cheese and butter are not at room temperature.
2. Frost cake and top with walnuts, if desired.

Denise C. Richardson, Colona, IL

“During the quarantine, this is easy to make. Chocolate cake can also be made by children.”

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 cup of tap water

½ cup butter soften at room temperature (1 stick)

6 tbsp Hershey’s cocoa powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

⅔ cup of whole milk

2 eggs

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F and grease and flour a 9×13 inch baking pan.
2. Combine the sugar, flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt with an electric mixer.
3. Mix the water and room temperature butter together, then add both to the dry mixture.
4. Mix the cocoa powder and vanilla extract, add it to the mixture.
5. Last stir in the milk and eggs, and mix.
6. Pour into 9×13 inch greased and floured baking pan and bake for 35 minutes at 350° F or until the toothpick comes out clean.
7. Cool completely before frosting.

Frosting:

“Note, I don’t have a recipe, just poured it in a bowl and mixed it to consistency.”

Mix together the following ingredients:

1 stick of softened room temperature butter

approx. 3 cups of powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Hershey’s cocoa powder (add to color desired, start out with just a few tbsp—don’t let it get too dark, lighter tastes like fudge)

enough milk to moisten (about ⅛ to ¼ cup of milk)

If too runny, add more powdered sugar, if too thick, add a drizzle of milk.  Place in the refrigerator overnight for the best cake.

Sandi Schmidt, Moline, IL

President, Friends of Silvis Public Library

Yield: About 5 Dozen

Ingredients:

3 cups uncooked quick oats

½ cup coconut

½ cup chopped walnuts

½ cup evaporated milk

½ cup cocoa powder

½ cup margarine

2 cups sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

1. Mix oats, coconut, and walnuts in a large bowl.
2. Combine milk, cocoa, margarine, and sugar in a saucepan.
3. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. Bring to a full boil for one minute.
4. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Pour liquid mixture over oat mixture and mix until well-coated.
5. Drop by teaspoon onto waxed paper – work quickly. Let stand until firm.

Note: Don’t try to make a double batch, because it will set up too fast to get them all onto the waxed paper. Just make multiple batches!

The Buckrop family, Rock Island, IL

Source: Lilly- instrupix.com

Ingredients:

18-24 large strawberries

8-ounce package of cream cheese, softened

1 cup heavy whipping cream

⅓ cup sour cream

⅔ cup white granulated sugar

½ cup graham cracker crumbs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice (optional)

Directions:

1. Prep the strawberries by cutting off the stems and slicing them in half. Next, cut a small sliver off the back of each strawberry half so that they sit up straight. Then use a small melon baller to carefully hollow out the middle (you don’t need to take out much, just make a small enough indent so that the cream cheese filling doesn’t slide off).
2. Place the softened cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, vanilla extract and lemon juice in a medium sized mixing bowl (DO NOT add the heavy whipping cream). Beat with an electric mixer until smooth.
3. In a separate medium-sized mixing bowl, beat the whipping cream until stiff peaks form (about 5 minutes).
4. Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until well incorporated.
5. Fill a piping bag with the cream cheese mixture (I used a star tip), and pipe it onto each sliced strawberry.
6. Finish with a sprinkle of graham cracker crumbs.
7. Serve and enjoy!

Dee Oberle, formerly of Davenport, IA

“My grandmother would make these if she ran out of homemade cookies!”

Ingredients:

1 box graham crackers

1 container of frosting (any kind)

Directions:

1. Break the graham crackers in half, ice one half and top with the other. It’s an easy treat when you want something sweet!

Homemade Frosting:

“You can buy the frosting, or I make it like my Mom and Grandmother did with powdered sugar, 1 tbsp of melted butter, tsp of vanilla, 3 tbsp of cocoa powder and enough leftover coffee to thin it. This makes a mocha icing.”

Linda Barnes, Rock Island, IL

“My grandmother Pattie was an outstanding cook and well known in the small town of Oakland, Mississippi for her homemade biscuits and teacakes. She wasn’t the type to follow a recipe and I do not recall her ever making a pound cake. Somehow, the texture and taste of this cake reminded me of her biscuits and teacakes.”

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups (3 sticks) butter, salted or unsalted

8 ounces cream cheese

3 cups sugar

6 large eggs

3 cups cake flour*

2 ½ tsp lemon extract or your choice

For the best results, it is important to have the butter, cream cheese and eggs at room temperature.

*Substitute: Measure 1 level cup of all-purpose flour, remove 2 tbsp of the flour and then place the flour into a bowl. Add 2 tbsp of cornstarch to the all-purpose flour. Whisk together to combine and use as a substitute for 1 cup cake flour

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325° F. Butter and flour (or spray with a non-stick spray that contains flour) Bundt pan.
2. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese on medium-high speed until smooth.
3. Gradually add sugar, scraping the bowl as needed; continue to beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one or two at a time, mixing well after each addition; scrape bowl as needed. Mix in your choice of extract.
4. Reduce mixer speed and add flour, one cup at a time, until blended well into the batter (do not over mix). Scoop the thick batter into the prepared Bundt pan and smooth the top.
5. Bake for 1 hour and 20–30 minutes or until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool for 20–30 minutes before removing from the pan.

Morgan Q, Silvis, IL

“This is a recipe my mom and I have loved for many years. It is healthy but tastes great. Over quarantine I have developed a love for baking and this is a go to recipe. Since I have Type 1 diabetes I included carbohydrates for those who need them too.”

Yield: About 12 Cookies (8 carbohydrates per cookie)

Ingredients:

2 ripe bananas

1 ½ cups rolled oats

1 tbsp peanut butter

1 tsp cinnamon

¼ cup mini chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
2. Mash bananas in a large bowl.
3. Mix in cinnamon and peanut butter until combined.
4. Mix in the oats.
5. Fold In chocolate chips.
6. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
7. Place 1-inch scoops of batter on a baking tray.
8. Bake for 15 minutes.
9. Place the cookies in the refrigerator to last longer.

Lisa Lockheart, Moline, IL

Source: Mel’s Kitchen Cafe

Ingredients:

Crust:

5 ounces animal crackers (about 2 ½ cups animal crackers)

3 tbsp packed light brown sugar

pinch of salt

4 tbsp butter, melted

Filling:

2 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature

1 tbsp grated fresh lime zest (from about 2 limes)

1 can (14 ounce) sweetened condensed milk

pinch of salt

1 large egg yolk

½ cup fresh lime juice (3-4 regular limes or 20 key limes)

Garnish:

¾ cup shredded coconut, toasted (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325° F, adjusting an oven rack to the middle position. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil, letting two opposing edges hang over at least an inch or so. Grease the foil with cooking spray.
2. For the crust, process the animal crackers, sugar and salt together into fine crumbs in a blender or food processor. Drizzle the melted butter over the crumbs and pulse to incorporate (or stir together in a bowl with a fork). Sprinkle the mixture into the prepared pan and press the crumbs into an even layer. Bake the crust until fragrant and golden, about 15-18 minutes.
3. While crust bakes, stir the cream cheese, lime zest and salt together in a medium bowl until combined. Whisk in the sweetened condensed milk until smooth (you can use a handheld electric mixer, if you want). Whisk in the egg yolk and lime juice until combined.
4. Pour the filling evenly over the crust. Bake the bars until the filling is set and the edges just slightly begin to pull away from the sides of the pan, 15-17 minutes.
5. Let the bars cool completely in the pan set on a wire rack, about 2 hours. Then cover the pan with foil and refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours. Remove the bars from the pan using the foil overhang and cut into squares. Sprinkle with toasted coconut if desired.

Denise C. Richardson, Colona, IL

“Everyone loves these cookies!  They’re best eaten after frozen and slightly thawed.”

Ingredients:

2 ¼ cups of all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

¾ cup packed light brown sugar

¾ cup white sugar

1 cup of softened room temperature butter (2 sticks)

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 bag of milk chocolate chips, chilled in the fridge

Directions:

1. Line cookie baking sheets with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 375° F.
2. In a small bowl mix together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a separate bowl with an electric mixer, mix together the light brown sugar, white sugar, and room temperature butter.
4. Add in the eggs and vanilla extract.
5. Combine the wet mixture to the flour mixture.
6. Add 1 bag of milk chocolate chips, which should be cold from the fridge.
7. Drop by teaspoon onto parchment paper cookie sheets and bake for approx. 9 to 10 minutes, depending on the cookie size (about 12 cookies to a baking sheet, room to spread out). Or use a 1 teaspoon (rounded) baking scoop to drop cookies onto the sheet.
8. Cool and freeze up to six weeks.

Name Withheld, Milan, IL

Source: A modified recipe from hersheys.com for chocolate chip cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup butter (2 sticks), melted

¾ cup granulated sugar

¾ cup light brown sugar packed

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

½  tsp salt

2 to 2 ½ cups of mix-ins (chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, toffee, M&M’s®, nuts, etc.)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375° F.
2. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla in a large bowl with a mixer until creamy. Add eggs; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, beating until well blended. Stir in the mix-ins.
3. Spread batter into a greased 9×12 inch pan. Bake at 375° F for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Cut into bars.

Nancy Blair, Rock Island, IL

“My daughter knows I love to bake and gave me this cookbook as a Christmas gift in 2019.  I have enjoyed trying some new recipes during this quarantine time.  While baking these cookies my daughter walked in the kitchen and said, “Those smell amazing!”, and I’d have to agree!  They also tasted amazing…and I am not a big fan of raisins in my cookies!”

Source: Midwest Made: Big, Bold Baking from the Heartland by Shauna Sever

Yield: About 4 dozen

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

3 cups old-fashioned or rolled oats (not quick cooking or instant)

½ cup shortening

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup dark brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

¾ cup golden raisins (not the dark kind)

generous ½ cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

1. Position oven rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 350° F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.  Whisk in the oats and set aside.
3. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the shortening, butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
4. Scrape down the bowl and beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla.
5. Reduce the mixer speed to low and stir in the dry ingredients until almost fully incorporated. Stir in the raisins and walnuts until the batter is well blended.
6. Drop the batter by rounded tablespoonfuls onto the baking sheets, 12 per sheet.
7. Bake one sheet at a time, rotating the pan halfway through baking, until the cookies are nicely browned, about 10-12 minutes.  Cool for 1 minute on the baking sheet before transferring the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
8. Store in an airtight container for up to one week.

Denise C. Richardson, Colona, IL

“This is an exact recipe, to not vary from instructions, except for 110° F, I usually start beating at 115° F, because the batter gets too stiff, too quickly for me. I also add walnuts before spreading it into the pan.”

Ingredients:

3 cups sugar

⅔ cup Hershey’s cocoa powder

⅛ tsp salt

1 ½ cups whole milk

¼ cup butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

walnuts (optional)

Directions:

1. In a heavy 4-quart saucepan, over medium heat, cook 3 cups sugar, ⅔ cup Hershey’s cocoa, and ⅛ tsp salt (mix together) and add 1 ½ cups whole milk to full boil stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.
2. Boil, WITHOUT stirring, to 234° F on a candy thermometer (or until syrup, when dropped into a very cold water forms a soft ball that flattens when removed from water).  Be sure the bulb of the thermometer is not resting on the bottom of the saucepan.
3. When it reaches 234° F, remove from heat and add ¼ cup butter and 1 tsp vanilla extract.  DO NOT STIR.
4. Cool at room temperature to 110° F (lukewarm).
5. BEAT with a wooden spoon until fudge thickens and loses some gloss.  Quickly spread in a buttered 8 or 9-inch square pan, cool; cut into 3 dozen squares.

The Buckrop family, Rock Island, IL

Source: Vera Z.- omgchocolatedesserts.com

Ingredients:

15 ounces pumpkin puree

¾ cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

¾ cup evaporated milk

⅔ cup flour

¼ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp baking powder

2 tsp pumpkin spice

¼ tsp salt

whipped cream

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
2. Grease 12-cup cupcake pan.
3. In a bowl stir together flour, pumpkin spice, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
4. Mix the pumpkin puree with sugar, eggs, vanilla and evaporated milk.
5. Add dry ingredients into the mixture and mix until it evenly combines.
6. Fill the pan with ⅓ cup of the mixture in each cup.
7. Bake for 20 minutes.
8. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 20 minutes then remove them from the pan and let them cool completely. Store them in the fridge.
9. Top the cupcakes with whipped cream and dust with cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice on top before serving.

Lisa Lockheart, Moline, IL

“This recipe is from my well-loved copy of “Recipes You Can Bank On.” This was a staff cookbook I helped produce at Davenport Bank and Trust, a former employer of mine. Some of them came from former coworkers, a few are ones I inherited from Mom. This cake is an easy family favorite!”

Ingredients:

1 cup brown sugar

½ cup granulated sugar

1 egg

½ cup shortening

1 ½ cups rhubarb, cut fine

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups flour

1 cup milk mixed with

1 tsp baking soda

Topping:

½ cup granulated sugar

½ tsp cinnamon

Directions:

1. Mix the first 9 ingredients together and pour into a greased 9×13 inch pan.
2. Combine topping ingredients and sprinkle on cake before baking.
3. Bake at 350° F for 40 minutes.

Lisa Lockheart, Moline, IL

Ingredients:

2 unbaked pie crusts (one for the top and another for the bottom)

¾ cup sugar

2 tbsp flour

2 cups rhubarb, chopped

2 egg yolks

¼ cup Carnation® evaporated milk

butter

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400° F.
2. Mix sugar and flour together. Add chopped rhubarb.
3. Add egg yolks to evaporated milk and mix.
4. Combine custard and rhubarb and pour into the pie shell. Dot with butter.
5. Put top crust on.
6. Bake for 40-45 minutes at 400° F.

Denise C. Richardson, Colona, IL

“So good and so easy to make, just be sure to cook over medium heat.”

Ingredients:

⅓ cup sugar

¼ cup cornstarch

⅛ tsp salt

2 ¾ cups of whole milk

2 tbsp of butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. In a medium size (3-quart) saucepan mix the sugar, cornstarch, and salt.
2. Over medium heat stir constantly with a wooden spoon when you add the milk.
3. When it boils to the beginning of a crater boil (looks like the moon) remove from heat and add butter and vanilla extract.
4. Stir until butter melts and vanilla extract is incorporated.
5. Pour in four or five custard dishes, a graham cracker crust pie shell, or one medium-size bowl. Cool.  Place in the refrigerator.

Ingredients:

⅔ cup sugar

3 tbsp Hershey’s cocoa powder

¼ cup cornstarch

⅛ tsp salt

2 ¾ cups of whole milk

2 tbsp of butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. In a medium size (3-quart) saucepan mix the sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch, and salt.
2. Over medium heat stir constantly with a wooden spoon when you add the milk.
3. When it boils to the beginning of a crater boil (looks like the moon) remove from heat and add butter and vanilla extract.
4. Stir until butter melts and vanilla extract is incorporated.
5. Pour in four or five custard dishes, a graham cracker crust pie shell, or one medium-size bowl. Cool.  Place in the refrigerator.