Vanilla Custard:
Scald in the microwave or on the stove top:
3 cups whole milk
Microwave works best as there is no chance of burning the milk.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan combine
1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp flour
2/3 cup sugar
pinch of salt

Over medium low flame slowly add 1 cup of the scalded milk, whisking constantly. As you notice the filling beginning to thicken, add another cup of the scalded milk continuing to stir constantly until it begins to thicken again. Add the final cup of scalded milk, stirring constantly. Continue to cook over medium low heat until mixture begins to slightly thicken. At this point remove from heat and pour about a half cup of this mixture onto

3 slightly beaten extra large egg yolks

whisking constantly. Pour the egg mixture immediately back into the pot, continuing to constantly stir. Cook for an additional two or three until the filling reaches pudding consistency and remove from the flame. The mixture should just be beginning to boil at this point.

Cool almost to room temperature before pouring 1/3 of the custard into the baked pie shell. Add a layer of sliced ripe bananas, followed by another third of the vanilla custard, another layer of sliced bananas and the last of the vanilla custard. Pour about 1 cup of caramel sauce over the top and chill for about 3 hours or overnight in the fridge. Garnish with Vanilla Whipped Cream.

Vanilla Whipped Cream:
1 cup whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp icing sugar

Combine and beat to soft peaks and spread or pipe on top of the cooled pie. Garnish with sliced bananas and a drizzle of caramel sauce.

Caramel Sauce:
2 cups sugar
2/3 cup butter cut in small cubes
4 tbsp water
1 cup whipping cream

Begin by mixing the sugar and water in a large saucepan. NOTE: I use a large saucepan of about 3-4 quarts or larger because the sugar foams up when you add the butter and cream so make sure you have a large enough pot.

Boil the sugar and water over medium heat until the mixture begins to turn a light amber color. It is very easy to burn this mixture which can happen very quickly once the proper color is achieved, so have your butter and cream at the ready, as timing is crucial for this recipe.

When the color is right, quickly add the butter and stir quickly until the butter is melted. Remove from the heat immediately and pour in the whipping cream, stirring constantly until the sauce is uniformly smooth. Cool completely. Store in an airtight plastic container or in a mason jar.

Frosting and Decorations:
1 container Betty Crocker® Whipped fluffy white frosting
3/4 cup frozen (thawed) reduced-fat whipped topping
10 fresh strawberries
2 tablespoons miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Generously grease or spray two 8- or 9-inch round cake pans. In large bowl, beat cake ingredients with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed 2 minutes. Pour into pans.

2. Bake as directed on box for 8- or 9-inch rounds. Cool 10 minutes. Run knife around sides of pans to loosen cakes; remove from pans to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.

3. In medium bowl, add frosting; fold in whipped topping.

4. On serving plate, place 1 cake, rounded side down. Spread with 1/3 cup frosting almost to edge. Cut about 5 strawberries into 1/4-inch slices; arrange on frosted cake. Top with second cake, rounded side up. Frost side and top of cake with remaining frosting. Garnish with about 5 halved strawberries in center of cake. Sprinkle chocolate chips around outside edge of top of cake. Store loosely covered in refrigerator.

You can make this cake in a 13×9-inch pan following directions on the box. Frost, and top the cake with sliced strawberries. The mini chips can be sprinkled over the top or just around the outside edge of the cake.

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 300. Grease and flour a tube pan or two Bundt pans; set aside.

2. In the top of a double boiler over hot (but not boiling)water, combine candy bars (6) and syrup (1 1/2c) Stir until melted and set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add melted chocolate, beating well.

4. In another bowl, sift together flour and baking soda.

5. Add dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk to sugar mixture, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla.

7. Bake for 1 1/2 hours. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Invert onto wire rack. Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream.

From the blogger: I take the four dove bars and another 1 1/2 c syrup and repeat step 2. After the cake is COMPLETELY cooled, I take this warm mixture and top over cake.

For the sauce:
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 stick butter, room temp
3 Tbs. cocoa
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup evaporated milk

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.

In a standing mixer, cream the butter and sugar together. Add one egg to the mixture at a time, beating after each one.

In a bowl, mix together the flour, salt and cocoa. Stir into butter mixture and combine well.

Add the vanilla and chopped almonds to the mixture. Stir to combine.

Lightly grease and flour a 9 x 13 baking dish. Pour brownie mixture into pan and bake 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Bring out of the oven, sprinkle the marshmallows over the top, and stick back in the oven for 5 minutes. You don’t want the mallows to brown, just starting to soften.

Drizzle the chocolate sauce over the brownies, let cool at room temperature for at least an hour (THE PAIN, I KNOW), slice and inhale!

Oh! Garnish with more chopped almonds if so desired. Which you should probably so desire.

From the blogger: This recipe comes from my late Memaw’s handwritten index cards. It’s not the healthiest, so don’t freak. But the taste will basically rock your whole entire life and world and beyond.

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350F. Butter a 9- by 5- inch loaf pan and dust with flour, shaking out the excess.

Working in a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and salt for just a minute, until foamy and smoothly blended; the mixture should not thicken. Whisk in the grated zest.

Spoon the flour and baking powder into a sifter and sift about a third of the dry ingredients over the foamy egg mixture. Whisk the flour into the eggs, mixing lightly – there’s no need to beat. Sift the flour over the eggs in two more additions and whisk only until everything is incorporated. Whisk the heavy cream into the mixture. Switch to a rubber spatula and gently and quickly fold in the melted butter.

Pour and scrape the batter into the prepared pan – it will level itself – and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the center of the cake crowns and cracks and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the cake to a cooling rack to rest for 10 minutes before unmolding. Cool to room temperature right side up on the rack. *

You can serve this cake as soon as it cools, although there are those who believe that a pound cake needs a day to ripen. Make a taste test for yourself. In any case, the cake should be sliced with a serrated knife and served in thin slices, a pair to a plate.

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Candied Meyer Lemon (from marthastewart.com)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 meyer lemon (do not peel), washed well and sliced 1/4-inch thick

Bring sugar and water to a boil in a large saucepan, and heat until sugar dissolves. Add lemons, and cover surface with parchment. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer gently until rinds are translucent, about 30 minutes. Let lemons cool in syrup.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer lemons to a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Let stand to allow excess syrup to drip off. Save the leftover syrup. [This is what I used to brush the tops of the baked cakes, before topping with the glaze.]

Meyer Lemon Glaze (from marthastewart.com)
2 3/4 cups confectioners’ sugar, plus more if needed
1/4 cup fresh Meyer lemon juice

In a medium bowl, whisk all glaze ingredients to combine. If necessary, add additional confectioners’ sugar to desired consistency.

To assemble the cake:
With a wooden skewer poke holes all over the top of the cool, baked cake. Using a small pastry brush, brush some of the leftover lemon syrup (from the candied lemons) on the top of the cake, but don’t over soak it! Let dry for about an hour. Pour the lemon glaze on top and let harden. Place a few slices of the candied meyer lemon on top of the glaze as decoration.

Dipped Strawberries:
1 pint (2 cups) medium-large strawberries (18 to 20 strawberries)
1/2 cup white vanilla baking chips
1 teaspoon shortening or vegetable oil

Filling and Frosting:
1 cup seedless strawberry jam
1 container Betty Crocker® Rich & Creamy milk chocolate frosting

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Grease and lightly flour bottoms and sides of two 9-inch round cake pans, or spray with baking spray with flour. In large bowl, mix cake mix and gelatin. Beat in water, oil and whole eggs with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into pans.

2. Bake 28 to 33 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pans to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

3. Meanwhile, gently rinse strawberries and dry on paper towels (berries must be completely dry). Line cookie sheet with waxed paper. In 1-quart saucepan, melt vanilla baking chips and shortening over low heat, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.

5. Split each cake layer horizontally into 2 layers. On serving plate, place top of 1 layer, cut side up; spread with 1/3 cup of the jam. Add bottom half of layer, cut side down; spread with 1/3 cup jam. Add top of second layer, cut side up; spread with remaining 1/3 cup jam. Add bottom of remaining layer. Frost side and top of cake with frosting. Arrange dipped strawberries around top of cake. Store covered in refrigerator.

Fruit Filling:
4 large eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup flour
pinch salt
zest of 1/2 lemon
1 tsp almond extract
2 (16-oz) packages frozen blackberries, thawed and drained

Directions:
To make the crust and topping, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan.

Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times to mix. Cut the butter into 1/2-inch cubes, and add to the flour mixture. Process until the butter is evenly distributed but the mixture is still crumbly, 30-60 seconds.

Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the mixture to use as the topping. Press the remaining mixture into the bottom of the pan, and bake 12-15 minutes. Cool for at least 10 minutes.

To make the filling, whisk the eggs in a large bowl, then add the sugar, sour cream, flour, salt, lemon zest, and almond extract. Gently fold in the berries and spoon the mixture over the crust. Sprinkle the remaining flour mixture evenly over the filling, and bake 45 to 55 minutes.

Blackberry Pie Bars – Adapted from Rebecca Rather, The Pastry Queen

Directions
1. Make the batter: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Using a small brush, lightly coat two 9-inch cake pans with softened butter or vegetable-oil cooking spray. Dust with flour and tap out any excess. Set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda and set aside. In a large bowl using a mixer set at medium speed, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, blending each thoroughly before adding the next. Scrape down sides and beat in vanilla extract. Reduce mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture by thirds, alternating with the lemon juice and buttermilk and ending with the dry ingredients.

2. Bake the cake: Divide the batter equally between the pans and spread evenly. Bake on the middle rack of the oven until the tops spring back when lightly touched and a tester inserted in the center of each cake layer comes out clean — 20 to 30 minutes. Cool in the cake pans on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Using a knife, loosen the cake layers from the sides of the pans and invert the layers onto the wire rack to cool completely.

Blackberry-Cassis Jam
5 cup(s) fresh or frozen blackberries
1 cup(s) cassis
2 tablespoon(s) cassis
1/2 cup(s) sugar
2 tablespoon(s) fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon(s) lemon zest
2 tablespoon(s) cornstarch

Directions:
1. Make the jam: In a medium nonreactive saucepan, combine blackberries, 1 cup cassis, sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest and cook over medium-low heat until berries begin to soften — about 10 minutes.

2. Use a slotted spoon to remove only the berries. Place them in a medium bowl, lightly mash them, and strain the resulting liquid back into the saucepan. Set the strained berries aside. Dissolve the cornstarch in the remaining 2 tablespoons of cassis and stir the mixture into the hot berry juice.

3. Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce heat to medium low, and cook, stirring often to avoid burning, until the liquid thickens and is reduced to half its original volume — about 2 cups.

4. Stir the reserved blackberries into the liquid. Remove from heat and cool completely.

Directions:
1. Make the frosting: In a large stainless-steel bowl placed over a pot filled with 1 inch of simmering water, place the egg whites and sugar. Use a whisk to beat the mixture until it is very hot to the touch (about 160 degrees F). Remove from heat and, using a mixer set on high speed, immediately begin whipping the mixture until it is cool, thick, and glossy and has tripled in volume — about 5 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to medium and add the butter — about a quarter cup at a time — allowing 5 to 10 seconds in between each addition. Add the lemon zest and lemon juice and continue to beat until smooth and fluffy.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray an 8×8 oven proof pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a medium bowl mix the buttermilk, oil and vanilla.

Pour the liquid into the flour mixture and stir with a fork until just incorporated.

The batter will be almost like a shaggy dough.

Turn the batter out into the 8×8 pan.

Bake until done in the center and golden on top, about 20-25 minutes.

Serve hot or cold.

Cut the shortcake into 9 equal squares.

Serve in bowls topped with lots of berries and milk.

Lemon Sponge Cake:
The first step should be to make the meringue which gets folded into the cake batter. Separate 6 eggs. Reserve the yolks for a later step. Place 6 egg whites into a a large bowl and start beating on high with an electric mixer. SLOWLY sprinkle in 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar, and 3/4 cup sugar, adding the sugar a bit at a time. Whip the egg white mixture until stiff peaks form.

In a bowl combine these dry ingredients- 1 3/4 cup cake flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1 tsp. salt, 1/2 cup sugar. In a separate bowl combine these wet ingredients- 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 6 egg yolks, 3/4 cup water, 1 tablespoon lemon zest.

With an electric mixer, combine the wet and dry ingredients then gently fold in the meringue. Pour batter into a non-greased 10” tube pan and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Upon removing from oven, immediately flip the tube pan upside down to rest and cool on the pan’s feet or onto a bottle neck if your pan doesn’t have feet. Allow to completely cool. Run a knife around the edges before removing from pan. Slice cake horizontally into 3 even layers with dental floss or a very long serrated knife.