Recipes by Arlene

• ¼ cup butter
• 4 bananas, firm (not overly ripe)
• ⅓ cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp. sliced almonds
• 2 tbsp. dark rum, warm
• 4 scoops vanilla ice cream

In non-stick pan, melt butter over medium heat. While butter is melting, slice bananas ¼- to ½-inch thick. Add bananas, brown sugar and almonds to pan. Sauté 3 minutes without turning. Turn bananas once and sauté briefly until golden brown. Pour warm rum over bananas and flame off carefully. Evenly distribute bananas over 4 servings of ice cream and serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.

• 1 cup packed dark-brown sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup butter at room temperature
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3 chocolate-covered toffee bars, chopped coarse

Heat oven to 350°. Line an 8- or 9-inch square pan with foil. Lightly grease foil. Beat sugar, flour, butter, eggs and vanilla in a large bowl about 3 minutes, until fluffy. Spread in pan and sprinkle with toffee.

Bake 25 minutes for 9-inch pan (35 minutes for 8-inch pan) or until lightly browned and toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack. Lift foil by ends to cutting board. Cut in bars.

• 1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 3 cups milk
• 2 small boxes instant vanilla pudding
• 8 ounces Cool Whip, thawed
• 1 bag Oreo cookies

Mix the cream cheese and powdered sugar together. In a separate bowl, combine milk and instant pudding and mix very well. Then add to the cream cheese mixture and add Cool Whip. Set aside.

Cut the Oreo cookies into small pieces. Place ⅓ of the Oreos in bottom of 9” x 13” pan and cover with ½ of the pudding mixture. Then add another ⅓ of the cookies and add remaining pudding. Top with remaining cookies. Refrigerate.

• ⅔ cup evaporated milk
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 1 (16 oz.) package semi-sweet chocolate morsels
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell

Combine milk, butter and chocolate morsels in a saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until chocolate melts. Remove from heat.

Combine eggs, sugar, flour, salt, vanilla and pecans. Add chocolate mixture and mix thoroughly. Pour into pie shell. Bake at 375° for 35 to 40 minutes.

• 20 oz. can cherry pie filling
• 20 oz. can crushed pineapple
• 18½ oz. package yellow cake mix
• ½ cup butter, melted
• 6 oz. package chopped pecans

Heat oven to 350°. Spread pie filling and pineapple – including juice – in 9” x 13” pan. “Dump” cake mix on top. Drizzle with butter and top with pecans. Bake for 1 hour.

From the October 1955 Better Homes and Gardens Magazine.

• ⅔ cup shortening
• 2 cups sifted cake flour
• 1¼ cups sugar
• 1 tbsp. instant coffee
• 1 tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. cream of tartar
• ¼ tsp. baking soda
• ½ cup water
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 3 eggs
• 2 1-oz. squares unsweetened chocolate, melted

Stir shortening to soften. Sift in cake flour. Add sugar, instant coffee salt, cream of tartar and baking soda. Add water and vanilla. Mix until flour is dampened ; then beat vigorously for 2 minutes. Add eggs and melted unsweetened chocolate and beat an additional minute. Pour into paper-lined 9½ x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan. Bake in slow oven (325°) about 65 to 70 minutes or until done. Cool in pan for 10 minutes and remove from pan. When thoroughly cooled, sift confectioners’ sugar over top.

From the January 1953 Better Homes and Gardens Magazine.

• ½ cup shortening
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 2¼ cups cake flour
• 2½ tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. baking soda
• 1 cup mashed ripe banana
• ¼ cup buttermilk

Cream shortening, sugar and vanilla. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Sift dry ingredients; add alternately with banana and buttermilk. Fill paper-lined cupcake pans ½ full. Bake in moderate oven (375°) about 20 minutes. Makes 20 cupcakes.

Butter Cream: Cream ¼ cup butter and 2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar. Add 1 tsp. vanilla and 2 tbsp. cream. Beat until of spreading consistency.

From the January 1953 Better Homes and Gardens Magazine.

• ⅔ cup brown sugar
• ⅓ cup milk
• 2 1-oz. squares unsweetened chocolate
• ⅓ cup shortening
• ⅔ cup brown sugar
• 2 beaten eggs
• 1⅓ cups enriched flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. salt
• ½ cup milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Heat ⅔ cup brown sugar, ⅓ cup milk and chocolate in double boiler until chocolate is melted. Cool. Thoroughly cream shortening and ⅔ cup brown sugar. Add eggs and beat well. Sift dry ingredients; add alternately with ½ cup milk. Add vanilla and chocolate mixture. Fill paper-lined cupcake pans ½ full. Bake in moderate oven (375°) about 20 minutes. Makes about 18 cupcakes.

Chocolate Glaze: Heat ¼ cup water, 2 tbsp. butter, ½ tsp. vanilla and 2 1-oz. squares unsweetened chocolate. Stir until melted. Add 2 cups sifted confectionary sugar. Beat until mixture is of spreading consistency.

From the February 1975 Better Homes and Gardens Magazine.

• 2 3-oz. packages cream cheese, softened
• ½ cup butter, softened
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 6½ cups sifted powdered sugar
• ⅓ cup milk, at room temperature
• 4 squares (ounces) unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
• 4 tbsp. butter, softened
• 3 eggs
• 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1¼ cups milk

Cream together cheese, the ½ cup butter and the vanilla. Alternately, beat in sugar and the ⅓ cup milk. Blend in chocolate. Remove 2 cups for frosting, cover and refrigerate. Cream together remaining chocolate mixture and butter. Add eggs and beat well.

Stir together dry ingredients. Beat into creamed mixture alternately with the remaining milk. Turn into two greased and floured 9 x 1½-inch cake pans. Bake in 350° oven for 30 minutes. Cool in pans 10 minutes. Remove and cool on racks. Remove frosting from refrigerator 15 minutes before frosting cake.

• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
• ½ pint (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping
• 1 small can crushed pineapple, drained
• 2 cups finely chopped pecans
• 1 9-inch graham cracker crust

Mix condensed milk with fresh lemon juice. Add well-drained pineapple and nuts. Fold in whipped topping. Pour into crust and chill at least 3 hours. Garnish with lemon slices.