Aunt June’s Banana Split Dessert

Ingredients:

• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 16 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 large banana, sliced
• 20 ounces crushed pineapple, well drained
• 12 ounces Cool Whip
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts
• 4 ounces maraschino cherries, drained & halved

Directions:

Combine the 1/2 cup sugar, graham cracker crumbs and melted butter. Press into a 9 x 13-inch pan. Bake crust at 350 F. for 15 minutes. Let cool.

Cream together cream cheese, remaining sugar and butter. Spread cream cheese mixture over graham cracker crust. Layer sliced bananas, drained pineapple, and cool whip in order. Sprinkle with chopped nuts then maraschino cherries. Cover and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.

Grandma Sutton’s Dill Dip for Vegetables

Ingredients:

• 2 cups mayonnaise
• 2 cups sour cream
• 3 tablespoons chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon seasoning salt
• 3 teaspoons dried dill weed
• 1 tablespoon white sugar

Preparation:

In a medium bowl, mix together mayonnaise, sour cream, chopped onion, seasoning salt, dill weed, and white sugar. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours before serving to blend flavors.

Chipped Chocolate and Hazelnut Cheesecake

Ingredients

• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs
• 3/4 cup toasted, ground hazelnuts
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 3 tablespoons hazelnut liqueur
• 13 skinned, toasted hazelnuts
• 4 tablespoons sour cream
• 1 tablespoon hazelnut liqueur

Preparation:

Using a blender or a food processor, finely chop 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips. Place in a small mixing bowl. Add vanilla wafer crumbs, ground hazelnuts, 2 tablespoons white sugar, and melted butter or margarine. Mix until well combined. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of a 9 inch springform pan. Bake in a preheated 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) oven for 15 minutes. Cool.

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually add 1 cup white sugar; mix well. Add the eggs and 3 tablespoons liqueur. Mix until well blended. Coarsely chop 1 cup of the semisweet chocolate chips, and add to the cream cheese mixture. Stir. Pour batter into the cooled crust.

Bake at in a preheated 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) oven for 1 hour. Let cake cool for 1 hour. Remove outer ring from pan. Then let cool completely.

Melt 2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips over hot (not boiling) water. Stir until smooth. Dip 13 hazelnuts into the chocolate, covering one-half of each nut. Shake off the excess chocolate. Place on a waxed-paper lined plate. Chill until set.

To the remaining melted chocolate, add sour cream. Mix well. Stir in 1 tablespoon liqueur. Spread glaze on top of the cooled cheesecake. Garnish with chocolate dipped hazelnuts.

Grandma Goldie’s Pecan Pie

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup shortening, chilled and diced
• 3 tablespoons ice water  
• 2 teaspoons butter
• 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup real maple syrup
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation:

In a medium bowl, mix together flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut half of the shortening into flour mixture, until fine crumbs form. Cut in remaining shortening until coarse crumbs form. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until a dough forms. Shape dough into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap; chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

On a floured surface, using a floured rolling pin, roll dough into an 11-inch circle. Fit dough into a 9-in quiche dish. Trim edges

In a heavy skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over low heat. Add nuts and stir for about 5 minutes, or until nuts begin to color. Let cool for 10 minutes.

Mix together beaten egg, maple syrup, sugar, 1/3 cup melted butter, vanilla, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir in nuts. Pour filling into crust. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until filling is set. Transfer pan to wire rack and cool.

Mom’s Apple Pie

Ingredients

• 5 large Granny Smith apples – peeled, cored and sliced
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch single crust pie

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

Combine 1/2 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, and cinnamon. Pour over apples in crust. Sprinkle lemon juice on top.

Cut 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup flour, and 1/2 cup butter or margarine together, and top pie with the mixture.

Take two 15 inch pieces of parchment paper and enclose pie; fold edges up 3 times. Place on a baking sheet.

Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour. Remove from oven, split parchment open and cool pie on wire rack. DO NOT open parchment covering while baking! Serve warm, or at room temperature.