Drumla's Pumpkin Spice Cake

This is an oldie but a goodie. Needed to post it somewhere I could easily share it! The story behind the name...the first time I had this cake I decided I had to have the recipe. Deb is the first name of the lady who actually made it but I could not remember her name and was describing her to my friend to help me locate her at church...somehow I shouted out "Drumla" (as if this is an ordinary name). 😆 We did find her and I got the recipe. We laughed about it, and after that, I decided I had to call this "Drumla's cake" instead of Deb's. This cake is super moist and very tempting, so only make it if you have a large group to feed! ;)

Ingredients:

1 16oz can (Libby's) solid-packed pumpkin

2 C sugar

1 C veg oil

4 eggs

2 C all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

Ingredients for the Icing:

3 oz cream cheese, softened

5 TBS butter, softened 

1 tsp vanilla

1 3/4 C Powdered sugar

3-4 tsp milk, as needed

(may also top with walnuts or pecans if desired)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350

2. Mix pumpkin, sugar, oil. Beat the eggs and then add in, mix well.

3. Combine the dry ingredients and add to the pumpkin mixture.

4.Pour into a greased and floured pan (9x13 or 10x15)

5. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or so and then you may need to lower the temperature a little and/or cover the edges with foil to finish baking for another 10 minutes or so. 

(Let the cake completely cool before icing.)

Directions for Icing:

1. Beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together until smooth.

2. Gradually add in the powdered sugar and keep it smooth--mix well. Add the milk a tsp at a time until the mixture spreads easily.

Old Fashioned Sugar Cake

• Found this recipe on Pinterest. It was amazing. Will definitely use this simple sugar cake as the base for future Strawberry Shortcake. But it was also good just by itself sprinkled with powdered sugar as pictured. Definitely a keeper recipe!

• 
  
• Ingredients:
• 
  
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening (I used coconut oil)
• 1 cup milk (I used almond milk)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 large egg whites
• confectioner's sugar for dusting

Instructions:

1. Cream together shortening and milk for about 3 minutes, (it will look like small curd cottage cheese.) Add in vanilla.
2. in a separate bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add flour, one third at a time to the milk mixture, blending well after each addition.
3. Lastly, add in egg whites, beating just until all combined.
4. Pour batter into a greased and floured (do not use a spray) 10 inch cast iron skillet.
5. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 40-45 minutes, using a toothpick inserted in the center to test for doneness.
6. Let cool on wire rack for at least 45 minutes before serving, lightly dust with powdered sugar if desired.

Notes

You can also bake this in 10 inch casserole dish or a 10 inch baking pan.

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cake

My friend Amanda gave me this recipe, it truly is one of the easiest, best chocolate cakes I have ever tasted! Don't let the "cherry" part throw you, you can only subtly tell it's there--but something about the cherries make this cake super moist and give it a richer flavor.
It is amazing, hope you'll try it! Amanda, thank you for sharing this!!

Cake:
1 box devil food's cake mix
1 can cherry pie filling
2 large eggs
1 tsp almond extract

Glaze:
1 C sugar
1/2 C butter
1/3 C whole milk
6 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
1. For cake:  preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 13x9" pan with cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl, combine all cake ingredients. Mix on low with electric mixer for 1 minute, scrape sides of bowl & continue mixing on medium speed for another 2 minutes. Pour into prepared cake pan & bake for 30-35 minutes or until cake springs back.
2. For glaze:  combine first 3 ingredients in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring constantly to a boil. Remove from heat & stir in chocolate chips. Stir glaze until smooth & pour over warm cake.
Cool cake for 20 minutes before serving to allow the glaze to firm up.

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

I made these a couple of weeks ago and they turned out yummy!  I found the recipe on allrecipes.com, but made several changes.  The recipe below is the "updated" version that turned out great!  A wonderful fall dessert!

INGREDIENTS:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1 cup white sugar 1/3 cup brown sugar 2 eggs 3/4 cup milk 3/4  of a 15 oz can pumpkin puree (more will make them more like a muffin, less will make them a little dry...depends on how you like them)

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened 1/4 cup butter, softened 3 cups confectioners' sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon **I followed these exact directions, but gradually added a little more powdered sugar until it was the consistency I could pipe.  It is sweet, so you just need a little icing piped on top!  I may add a little more cinnamon next time.

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat an oven to 350 degrees.  **I baked mine on convect @325**  Grease 24 muffin cups, or line with paper muffin liners. Sift together the flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, clove, allspice, salt, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside.
2.	Beat 1/2 cup of oil, the white sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, allowing each egg to blend into the mixture before adding the next. Stir in the milk and pumpkin puree after the last egg. Stir in the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared muffin cups.
3.	Bake in the preheated oven until golden and the tops spring back when lightly pressed, about 25 minutes. (mine did not take this long, so watch them!) Cool in the pans for 5 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.
4.	While the cupcakes are cooling, make the frosting by beating the cream cheese and 1/4 butter with an electric mixer in a bowl until smooth. Beat in the confectioners' sugar a little at a time until incorporated. Add the vanilla extract and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; beat until fluffy. Once the cupcakes are cool, frost with the cream cheese icing.  Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve!

Homemade Applesauce

I made homemade applesauce tonight for preschool lessons this week and it was yummy (and SO easy!)  Wanted to keep the recipe someplace quick where I could find it again.

4 apples - peeled, cored and chopped


3/4 cup water

1/4 cup white sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

1.In a saucepan, combine apples, water, sugar, and cinnamon. Cover, and cook over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes, or until apples are soft. Allow to cool, then mash with a fork or potato masher.

Sopapilla Cheescake

I made this last night for a preschool dinner and apparently from the responses, this recipe is a little different that others for this same dessert.  It goes great as a dessert with Mexican food!

Here is my version:

SOPAPILLA CHEESECAKE


• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

• 1 cup white sugar

• 1 teaspoon Mexican vanilla extract

• 2 (8 ounce) cans refrigerated crescent rolls

• 3/4 cup white sugar

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature

• 1/4 cup honey

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Prepare a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Beat the cream cheese with 1 cup of sugar and the vanilla extract in a bowl until smooth.

3. Unroll the cans of crescent roll dough, and use a rolling pin to shape each piece into 9x13 inch rectangles. Press one piece into the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Evenly spread the cream cheese mixture into the baking dish, then cover with the remaining piece of crescent dough. Stir together 3/4 cup of sugar, cinnamon, and butter. Dot the mixture over the top of the cheesecake.

4. Bake in the preheated oven until the crescent dough has puffed and turned golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and drizzle with honey. Cool completely in the pan before cutting into 12 squares.

Red Velvet Birthday Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

Made this cake for Trent's birthday & wanted to put the recipe somewhere I could find it again, it's a keeper! :)

Ingredients:

2 1/4 C sifted flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 C shortening

1 1/2 C sugar

2 eggs

1 (1 oz) bottle red food coloring

1 oz water

2 TBS unsweetened cocoa

1 C buttermilk

1 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

1 TBS apple cider vinegar

For the Icing:

8oz pkg cream cheese, softened

1 stick real butter, softened

2 C powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

3-4 tsp of milk (adjust as needed to get right consistency)

Cake Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease & flour two 9-inch cake pans.

2. In a small bowl, sift cake flour with baking soda

3. Mash shortening with sugar in mixing bowl until combined. Stir in eggs, one at a time. Pour red food coloring into a small bowl, and fill the empty food coloring container with water; add the water to the food coloring. Stir in cocoa powder to make a paste, and mix the paste into the shortening mixture.

4. Stir buttermilk, salt, vanilla extract & apple cider vinegar into a bowl & mix into the colored shortening mixture, until well combined. Scrape batter into cake pans.

5. Bake 20-30 minutes until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Allow to cool for one hour before icing.

Icing directions:

1. Beat cream cheese, butter & vanilla until smooth

2. Gradually add powder sugar in--keep smooth--mix well

3. Add in tsp's of milk as needed to reach desired consistency

4. Spread over cake (be sure to ice bottom cake completely before setting top one on)

Spritz Butter Cookies (Half Recipe version)

Chantelle made some tasty butter spritz cookies @ our cookie exchange one year, they were great! I decided I wanted to make some, but I don't have one of the cookie press tools that make them turn out so pretty. I pressed the dough with a fork & made a criss cross design like you do on a peanut butter cookie. I also sprinkled them with sugar. They weren't quite as cute as they would've been with a press, but they tasted really good! I also didn't want to make a large quantity so below is the recipe that makes a half batch of this cookie.

Ingredients:

1-1/4 C flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 C butter, softened

1/2 C (+2 TBS) powdered sugar

1 egg yolk

1/4 tsp almond extract

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Sift flour & salt, together and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter & sugar. Stir in the egg yolk, almond & vanilla extracts. Gradually blend in the sifted ingredients. Fill a cookie press with the dough & press cookies onto a cookie sheet (or just do the criss cross fork press instead). If you like, decorate with sugar or sprinkles.

3. Bake for approximately 8 minutes

Banana-Cinnamon Cake

I sometimes take my ripe bananas and make banana bread or muffins. This time I decided to try something new--this was really good and would be great for a brunch (also got this idea from bettycrocker.com)

Ingredients:

1 pkg yellow cake mix

1/2 C water

1 cup mashed ripe bananas (2 medium)

1/2 C butter, softened

2 tsp ground cinnamon

3 eggs

1/2 C chopped walnuts

Cinnamon Glaze:

1/2 C cream cheese frosting (I used store bought, but you could make your own)

2-3 tsp milk

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon to sprinkle on top

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 350--grease bundt pan

2. Beat cake mix, water, bananas, butter, cinnamon & eggs with an electric mixer for about 2 minutes. Stir in walnuts. Pour in pan.

3. Bake 40-50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Turn pan upside down onto plate, remove pan & let cake cool completely (about 2 hours). Stir glaze ingredients (except for cinnamon) in small bowl until its thin enough to drizzle. Drizzle cover the cake and sprinkle cinnamon on top.

Caesar Tortellini Salad & a quick dessert idea

Got this salad idea from bettycrocker.com and the dessert idea was included; both were keepers!

Ingredients:

1 pkg (9 oz) refrigerated cheese-filled tortellini (found these in the deli section @ Walmart and got the whole wheat kind)

1 bag complete Caesar salad mix

1 medium tomato, chopped

1/4 C bacon bits

1/4 C fresh ground pepper

1. Cook & drain tortellini according to pkg directions; rinse with cold water, drain.

2. Toss tortellini, salad mix ingredients, tomato, bacon bits & pepper. Serve immediately.

Quick & Easy dessert idea:

Heat canned cherry pie filling (or apple, etc.) and top with granola & whipped cream!

Pumpkin Bars with cream cheese icing

Made these today for Tara's Thanksgiving feast at school and they are yummo!

Recipe was on Foodnetwork and is from Paula Deen.

Ingredients:

Bars:

4 eggs

1 2/3 C granulated sugar

1 C veg oil

15 oz can of pumpkin

2 C sifted all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

Icing:

8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened

1/2 C butter, softened

2 C sifted powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

Using an electric mixer at medium speed, combine eggs, sugar, oil & pumpkin and mix until light & fluffy.

Stir together flour, baking pwd, cinnamon, salt & baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth.

Spread the batter into a greased 10x13" baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes*. Let cool completely before frosting. Cut into bars.

To make the icing: Combine the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sugar and mix at low speed until combined. Stir in the vanilla and mix again. Spread on cooled pumpkin bars.

*Side notes for the next time I make these (it took less than 30 min for these to cook; I checked them at about 18 minutes and layed foil around the edges of the pan b/c the edges were done but the center needed a few minutes more). It was also beneficial to let this cake cool for a couple of hours before attempting to cut it into bars and/or ice it.

This cake recipe is a great consistency to be used for bars. They actually turn out looking exactly like the picture! :)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Reese Cup Candy

Don't hate me for posting this recipe. :} I already hate that I stumbled across it and felt compelled to make it! (I also attempted to half mine) but below is the full recipe.

1 1/2 C graham cracker crumbs

1 box powdered sugar (fyi this is roughly the equivalent of 3 3/4 C)

1 1/2 C peanut butter

2 sticks margarine or butter, melted

Mix all ingredients well and press into 9x13 pan. Melt 6 ounce package chocolate chips. Pour over crust. Cool and let chocolate set. Cut into squares

Tammy Treats?!?

These are an easy dessert and super yummy! Basically it is a chocolate peanut butter Rice Krispie treat. Our friend Tammy S. used to make something similar (I need to get her exact recipe too :}) whenever we had care group we were always excited when Tammy brought these! I think somewhere along the way we nicknamed them Tammy Treats.

Definitely not helping the biggest loser challenge out here! ;) Oh well, enjoy!

1 cup Karo Syrup

1 cup Peanut butter (do not use reduced fat)

1 cup sugar

Rice Krispie cereal

1 bag semi sweet chocolate chips

Heat the first 3 ingredients together in a sauce pan and pour over 6 cups of rice krispies. Put mixture in 9x12 pan. Pour a bag of chocolate chips over top and let melt. That's it!

Malted Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies

A Pioneer Woman recipe...very yummy and different tasting, without being too different tasting (if that makes sense?)

Malted Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 Sticks) Unsalted Butter Softened
¾ cups Golden Brown Sugar
¾ cups Sugar
2 whole Eggs
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
2 cups All-purpose Flour
1-¼ teaspoon Baking Soda
1-¼ teaspoon Salt
½ cups (rounded) Malted Milk Powder
1 bag (12 Ounce) Milk Chocolate Chips

Preparation Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cream butter, then add both sugars and cream until fluffy. Add eggs and beat slightly, then add vanilla and beat until combined. Add malted milk powder and beat until combined.

Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to butter mixture, beating gently until just combined.

Add chocolate chips and stir in gently.

Drop by teaspoonfuls (or use a cookie scoop) and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Bake less if you want chewy cookies; more if you want crispy cookies.

Optional: Allow to cool completely, then use two cookies to make an ice cream sandwich. Add sprinkles to the sides of the ice cream, then wrap individually in plastic wrap.

Snickerdoodles

I have this recipe out (I am making cookies right now for preschool program night tomorrow) so I decided to post it. Snickerdoodles are one of the only kinds of cookies Sam will even think about eating, so naturally, they get made fairly frequently around our house.

Snickerdoodles (my mom's recipe)

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
2 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp. cream of tartar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt

2 TBSP. sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Beat sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs. Mix well. Add flour, cream of tartar, salt, and soda. Mix until well blended.

In small bowl combin 2 T. sugar with cinnamon.

Make tsp size cookies in ball. Roll in cinnamon/sugar mixture. Place on cookie sheet.

Bake at 400 for approx 8-9 minutes.

Makes about 4 dozen (although I usually make my cookies a little larger than that so then less than that!)

Chocolate Chess Pie

This lovely recipe was in my Family Fun magazine 2009 issue. I had company in town this past weekend (always a good reason to make a guilty pleasure dessert, right? :)) This pie was quick and easy to make and it actually tastes as good as it looks!

Ingredients:

Your favorite 9-inch deep dish piecrust (buy or make your own)

1/2 C (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

4 oz bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

1 1/4 C sugar

1 TBS fine yellow cornmeal

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cinnamon

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1 large egg yolk

1/4 C milk

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream (optional)

Directions:

1. Prepare your pie crust & preheat oven to 325 degrees

2. Put the butter in the top of a double-boiler set over, but not in, slow-simmering water OR place a heat-safe glass or metal bowl in a similarly sized pot (I don't have a double boiler so I tried this second method & it worked well). Scatter the chocolate over the butter without mixing and let it stand until the chocolate and butter have melted, about 6 minutes. Whisk the chocolate mixture until it's smooth, then remove it from the heat and set it aside for 10 minutes to cool.

3. In a large bowl, use your hands to combine the sugar, cornmeal, salt, and cinnamon. In another bowl, lightly beat together the eggs & yolk. Add them to the sugar mixture, along with the milk and vanilla extract, and whisk together until they're evenly blended. Then whisk in the chocolate mixture until smooth & pour the filling into the piecrust.

4. Place the pie on the center oven rack & bake it for 35 minutes. Rotate it 180 degrees, then continue to bake until it puffs up and forms a thin crusty layer, about 20 minutes more. Transfer the pie to a wire rack to cool for at least 1 1/2 hours. Serve it slightly warm or at room temperature, with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, if you like. (I made homemade whipped cream--so easy, use a mixer to blend 1/4C sugar with 1/2 pint of heavy whipping cream--mix it until fluffy...yum!!)

Enjoy!

Toffee,Chocolate Chip, Pecan Shortbread cookies

This is not exactly a Valentines cookie, but I found it in a magazine and it was listed as "quick and easy," so I thought I'd give it a try. I'm so glad I did! Trent says these have moved onto his favorite cookies list. They're a true shortbread cookie though, so keep that in mind (meaning they're not especially moist) but the flavor is great!

Ingredients:

8 TBS (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temp

1/4 C confectioners' sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 C flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (I didn't have mini, so I just used regular and it seemed to work fine--I might try mini next time just to see the difference)

1/2 C toffee bits (I used the Heath Bit o' Brickle that I now find all the time at Walmart--FYI, Alyssa! :))

1/2 C chopped pecans (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream together butter, confectioners' sugar & vanilla until smooth. Stir in flour and salt just until a dough forms. Fold in choc. chips, toffee bits & pecans.

2. Roll dough into 1-inch balls; place on prepared baking sheet, 1 inch apart, press down lightly on each one with a moistened palm. (I didn't press down on them at this point--when I checked to see if they were done, I used a fork to lightly press each one and they were easier to work with at that point--then I cooked them for a minute more)

3. Bake until cookies are firm & just golden around edges, 12-14 minutes. Place baking sheet on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then transfer cookies to rack to cool. Repeat with remaining dough. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temp for up to 3 days.

**This recipe only makes about 2 dozen cookies...I am sure that I will try doubling it the next time I make them. This size batch doesn't last long!

Enjoy!

Snow Ice Cream

This is a Paula Deen recipe...easy and perfect to make with all of the snow we have in our yards today!

Ingredients:

8 cups snow, or shaved ice
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
Place snow or shaved ice into a large bowl. Pour condensed milk over and add vanilla. Mix to combine. Serve immediately in bowls.

Blackberry-Peach Coffee Cake

I found this recipe in Southern Living and had to try it; it was quite tasty--I think it would be great to make again for a brunch or a shower, etc. The only thing I would do differently next time is poke the fruit down further into the batter; it was good on top, but would've been better had there been more fruit inside the cake.

Ingredients:

1/2 C butter, softened

1 C sugar

2 eggs

2 C flour

2 tsp baking pwd

1/2 tsp salt

2/3 C milk

2 tsp vanilla

2 C peeled & sliced fresh peaches (about 2 lg peaches)

1 C fresh blackberries

Powdered sugar

(it also requires a springform pan)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare Streusel Topping* (see recipe for this below)

2. Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add granulated sugar, beating well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition.

3. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Pour batter into a greased and floured 9-inch springform pan; top with sliced peaches and blackberries. Pinch off 1-inch pieces of Streusel Topping, and drop over fruit.

4. Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 10 minutes to 1 hour and 20 minutes or until center of cake is set. (A wooden pick inserted in center will not come out clean.) Cool completely on a wire rack (about 1 1/2 hours). Dust with powdered sugar. Garnish, if desired.

Streusel Topping (*this recipe makes way too much--next time I will half everything below)

1/2 C butter, softened

1/2 C granulated sugar

1/2 C firmly packed light brown sugar

2/3 C all-purpose flour

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add granulated sugar and brown sugar, beating well. Add flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg; beat just until blended.

Berries and Bits

1 14 oz can Eagle Brand milk
1/2 cup cold water
3 1/2 oz package instant vanilla pudding
2 cups cool whip (I usually end up using a little bit more)
36+ vanilla wafers
1 qt. strawberries, sliced
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Mix Eagle Brand and water. Add instant pudding mix and beat until well blended. Chill 5 minutes. Fold in cool whip. Spoon about 2 cups pudding in serving dish (preferably round, like a trifle bowl). Top with 1/2 vanilla wafers, then sliced strawberries, and 1/4 cup chocolate chips. Repeat, ending with pudding.

Garnish with remaining chocolate chips and additional strawberries.

** Variations: Since Sam doesn't like chocolate at all, we like to substitute the chocolate chips for fresh blueberries.

** I don't like bananas at all, but my mom uses the pudding part of the recipe to make banana pudding.