Recipes by Arlene

• 1 3-oz. box cherry Jell-O
• 1 3-oz. package cream cheese
• 15 marshmallows
• 1 4½-oz. tub Cool Whip
• 1 small can crush pineapple
• 2 cups water

Make Jell-O as directed on package with water. Add marshmallows and melt in hot Jell-O; add to softened cream cheese. Refrigerate until just before it congeals. Whip in mixture; add well-drained pineapple and fold in Cool Whip. Chill until sets in 8-inch square pan or dish. Serves 9-12 people. Holds up great for a buffet.

• 1 package devils food cake mix
• ½ cup oil
• 1 8-oz. carton sour cream
• 1 4½-oz. package instant chocolate fudge pudding
• ½ cup Amaretto, Kuhlua or rum (your choice!)
• 4 eggs
• 1 6-oz. package chocolate chips

Put all ingredients (except chips) in bowl and, with a mixer, beat for 4 minutes. Fold in chocolate chips. Pour into Bundt pan sprayed with Pam and bake for 1 hour at 350°. Let cool for about 10 minutes and turn onto cake plate.

• 1 cup butter
• 1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 package (3.4 oz.) instant pistachio pudding mix
• 1¾ cups cold milk

In a mixing bowl, combine butter, cream cheese and flour; mix well. Shape into 48 balls (1 in. each); press onto the bottom and up the sides of ungreased miniature muffin cups. Bake at 400° for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool for 5 minutes; carefully remove from pans to a wire rack to cool completely.

For filling, combine pudding and milk in a mixing bowl; beat on low speed for 2 minutes. Cover and refrigerate for 5 minutes. Spoon into tart shells and serve immediately.

Note: This pie is quick and easy to make, but allow one day to prepare since it must be frozen overnight.

• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• ¼ cup sugar
• 7 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk, chilled
• 1 6-oz. can frozen lemonade concentrate (do not thaw)
• 1 cup blueberries
• 1 cup raspberries
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350°. In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter. Press firmly on the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Bale for 7 minutes and cool completely. In a cold medium bowl, whip the cream until stiff peaks form. In another bowl, stir together the condensed milk and frozen lemonade. Gently fold the mixture into the whipped cream. Pour the filling into the crust and freeze overnight.

About an your before serving, toss the berries into a medium bowl with the sugar and lemon juice. Set aside until ready to serve. Let the pie come to room temperature for 10 minutes before cutting. Top each slice with berries.

This mixture can double as a fondue dipping sauce for assorted fresh fruits, marshmallows or cake pieces and as a fudge sauce to dip ice creams, sorbets, fresh fruits or cake slices.

• 12 oz. semisweet chocolate chips or semisweet chocolate, broken into small pieces
• 1 1-ounce square unsweetened chocolate, cut up
• ⅔ cup heavy cream or half-and-half
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• Cut-up fresh fruits, large marshmallows, cubes of cake, ice cream or sorbet

In a 1-qt. mini electric slow cooker, combine the chocolates and cream. Cover, plug in and cook 1¼ hours, stirring twice until the mixture is melted, smooth and hot. Stir in vanilla. Serve hot or warm with fresh fruits, marshmallows and cake cubes for dipping or serve over ice cream, sorbet, fruits and/or cake. Refrigerate any leftover sauce.

There are several variations you may wish to try:

1. Chocolate-Orange Fondue or Sauce: Stir in 1 tbsp. grated orange zest along with the vanilla.
2. Espresso Fondue or Sauce: Stir in 1 tbsp. instant espresso powder with the vanilla.
3. Chewy Fudge Sauce: For a chewier fudge sauce for ice cream, stir in 1-2 tbsp. light corn syrup with the vanilla.

The recipe can be doubled and cooked in a 3½-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on the low heat setting 2¾ – 3 hours, stirring once or twice, until the chocolate melts and the mixture is smooth and hot. Makes about 3¾ cups. Refrigerate any leftovers as the chocolate mixture hardens into one large mass and is difficult to break up into smaller amounts.

• 4 cups cut rhubarb
• ½ cup sugar (or more to taste)
• Cinnamon, optional
• ¾ cup oatmeal
• 1 cup brown sugar
• a stick margarine
• 1 cup flour

Put the rhubarb in a 9” x 12” pan and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon (if desired). Mix the oatmeal, brown sugar, margarine and flour together until crumbly. Sprinkle over rhubarb abd bake 35-40 minutes in a 375° oven

This can also be made with apples instead of rhubarb.

• 1 cup dried cherries
• 1 cup sweet vermouth
• 1 (12 oz.) bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
• ⅓ cup bourbon whiskey
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 3 eggs, separated

In a small bowl, pour vermouth over cherries to rehydrate. Macerate for 30 minutes or until cherries are plump. Meanwhile, using a double boiler, melt butter and chocolate together. Remove melted chocolate from heat and stir in whiskey. In a separate bowl whisk egg yolks, then slowly add in thirds to the melted chocolate. In a large bowl, whip egg whites to stiff peaks. Whisk one-third of the whites into the chocolate, then gently fold in the remainder. Pour into 4 individual serving dishes and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Remove dishes from the refrigerator, top with macerated cherries and serve.

• 36 ounces vanilla wafers
• 2 cups chopped walnuts
• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 2 cups bourbon or to taste
• 4 tsp. cocoa
• 1 cup superfine sugar

In food processor or blender combine wafers and walnuts. Process until finely ground. Add remaining ingredients except sugar. Blend well. Roll into small balls and roll in sugar, coating well. Cover and refrigerate until served. Yields 3-4 pounds.

• 2 3-oz. packages cream cheese, softened
• ½ cup butter, softened
• 4 tbsp. butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 6½ cups sifted powdered sugar
• 4 oz. unsweetened chocolate
• 3 eggs
• 2¼ cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1¼ cups milk
• ⅓ cup milk

Cream together: cream cheese, ½ cup butter and vanilla. Alternately beat in powdered sugar and ⅓ cup milk (room temp). Blend in the chocolate. Remove 2 cups of the mixture which will be for your frosting. Cover and refrigerate it. Cream together remaining chocolate mixture and 4 tbsp. softened butter. In a bowl, stir together 2¼ cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat this dry mixture into the creamed mixture alternating with 1¼ cups milk. Turn into 2 greased and floured 9 X 1 ½” round cake pans. Bake in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Cool in pans 10 minutes. Remove and cool racks. Remove frosting from refrigerator 15 minutes prior to frosting the cake.

From Wikipedia: Kolache (also spelled kolace, kolach, or kolacky, from the Czech and Slovak plural koláče) is a type of pastry consisting of fillings ranging from fruits (including poppy seed, raspberry, and apricot) to cheeses inside a bread roll. Originally only a sweet dessert from Central Europe, they have become popular in parts of the United States.

Note: This recipe comes from “The Psota Collection,” a compilation of recipes from the Psota family in Ravenna, Nebraska. My aunt, Albie Kostal Psota, was an excellent cook and made kolaches for us all the time.

• 2 cups warm water
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 2 packages dry yeast
• flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 cup mile (scald, cool to warm)
• 1 cup lard
• 5-6 cups flour

Mix first four ingredients using enough flour to make thin batter, like pancakes. Let stand 15 minutes. Then add remaining ingredients. Mix well and let rise until double in size. Push down. Take ¼ of dough, pat down and cut into 3- to 4-inch squares. Pull corners up so it looks like an ‘H.’ Put filling in center — apple, prune, apricot, cherry, cottage cheese or poppy seed – and bring corners up and tie, like a shoe. Let rise until double in size. Bake in 350° oven until brown, about 30 minutes.