Michelle's blog: "Desserts"

Ingredients: * 1-3/4 cups flour * 1 cup brown sugar * 1/2 cup butter, melted * 2 cups whole pecan halves * 1 cup butter (no substitutes) * 3/4 cup brown sugar * 2 cups milk chocolate chips Preparation: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl, combine flour and 1 cup brown sugar and mix with fingers. Stir in 1/2 cup melted butter until the mixture looks like cornmeal. Pat evenly into a 13" x 9" baking pan. Sprinkle pecans over crust. In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup butter and 3/4 cup brown sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils for 1 minute, combines, and looks syrupy. Drizzle evenly over the pecans. Bake bars 17-22 minutes until bubbly over entire surface. Remove from oven. Sprinkle immediately with milk chocolate chips and cover with foil to trap heat. Let the chocolate melt for a few minutes, then remove foil and swirl a knife through some of the chips to marble. Don't try to spread the chips over the whole pan. makes 36 bars

Ingredients: * 2 (16 oz.) cans Royal Anne cherries, drained, reserving juice * 20-oz. can crushed pineapple, drained, reserving juice * 1 Tbsp. unflavored gelatin * 3-oz. pkg. cherry Jell-O * 2 (3 oz.) pkgs. cream cheese, softened * 1 cup sour cream * 1 cup chopped celery * 1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted Preparation: Combine reserved juice from canned fruit and measure. Add water, if necessary, to make 2 cups. In small bowl, soften unflavored gelatin in 1/2 cup of this fruit juice for 1-2 minutes. Heat in microwave for 30-60 seconds, or until gelatin dissolves, stirring once during cooking. Set aside. Bring remaining 1-1/2 cups juice to boil in medium saucepan. In large bowl, dissolve cherry Jell-O in this boiling fruit juice. Set aside to cool slightly. In another large bowl, beat cream cheese until very soft and fluffy. Add sour cream and beat well until smooth. Add 1/2 cup of the dissolved cherry Jell-O gradually and beat until smooth. Slowly add remaining dissolved cherry Jell-O mixture and dissolved unflavored gelatin mixture. Stir until blended. Add drained cherries, pineapple, celery, and almonds. Pour into 2 quart mold, cover, and chill overnight until well set. Unmold and serve. 10-12 servings

Ingredients: * 1 egg white * 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar * 1/8 teaspoon almond extract * Dash salt * 1/3 cup sugar * 2 scoops chocolate ice cream * Chocolate sauce * 2 tablespoons flaked coconut, toasted * Maraschino cherries Directions: Place egg white in a small mixing bowl and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Add the cream of tartar, extract and salt. Beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, on high until stiff glossy peaks form and sugar is dissolved. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spoon the egg mixture into two mounds on paper. Using the back of a spoon, build up the edges slightly. Bake at 250° for 35 minutes. Turn off oven and do not open door; let shells dry in the oven for at least 1 hour. To serve, fill shells with ice cream; top with chocolate sauce, coconut and cherries. Yield: 2 servings.

Ingredients: * 2 packages (21.4 ounces each) strawberry no-bake cheesecake mix * 3/4 cup butter, melted * 1/4 cup sugar * 3 cups cold milk * 1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple, well drained * 3 medium firm bananas, sliced * 1/2 cup chocolate ice cream topping, warmed, divided * 1/2 cup caramel ice cream topping, divided * 1 carton (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed * 1/3 cup chopped pecans * Maraschino cherries with stems Directions: Set aside filling and strawberry topping packets from cheesecake mixes. Place the contents of the crust mix packets in a large bowl; stir in butter and sugar until crumbly. Press into an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. dish. In a large mixing bowl,Beat milk and contents of filling packets on low speed until blended. Beat on high for 3 minutes or until slightly thickened. Spread over the crust. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Spread contents of strawberry topping packets over cheesecake. Top with pineapple and bananas. Drizzle with 1/4 cup of chocolate topping and 1/4 cup caramel topping. Spread with whipped topping (dish will be full). Refrigerate for 2 hours or until set. Before serving, drizzle with remaining chocolate and caramel toppings. Top with pecans and cherries. Yield: 16-20 servings.

INGREDIENTS * 19 ice cream sandwiches * 1 (12 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed * 1 (12 ounce) jar hot fudge ice cream topping * 1 cup salted peanuts DIRECTIONS 1. Cut one ice cream sandwich in half. Place one whole and one half sandwich along a short side of an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. pan. Arrange eight sandwiches in opposite direction in the pan. Spread with half of the whipped topping. Spoon fudge topping by teaspoonfuls onto whipped topping. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup peanuts. Repeat layers with remaining ice cream sandwiches, whipped topping and peanuts (pan will be full). 2. Cover and freeze for up to 2 months. Remove from the freezer 20 minutes before serving. Cut into squares.

INGREDIENTS * 5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped * 1 pint fresh strawberries with leaves DIRECTIONS 1. In a microwave-safe bowl, or in the top of a double boiler over simmering water, cook chocolate until melted. Stir occasionally until chocolate is smooth. Holding berries by the stem, dip each one in molten chocolate, about three-quarters of the way to the stem. Place, stem side down, on wire rack and chill in refrigerator until hardened.

INGREDIENTS * 6 egg yolks * 3/4 cup white sugar * 2/3 cup milk * 1 1/4 cups heavy cream * 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract * 1 pound Mascarpone cheese * 1/4 cup strong brewed coffee, room temperature * 2 tablespoons rum * 2 (3 ounce) packages ladyfinger cookies * 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder DIRECTIONS 1. In a medium saucepan, whisk together egg yolks and sugar until well blended. Whisk in milk and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils. Boil gently for 1 minute, remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Cover tightly and chill in refrigerator 1 hour. 2. In a medium bowl, beat cream with vanilla until stiff peaks form. Whisk Mascarpone into yolk mixture until smooth. 3. In a small bowl, combine coffee and rum. Split ladyfingers in half lengthwise and drizzle with coffee mixture. 4. Arrange half of soaked ladyfingers in bottom of a 7x11 inch dish. Spread half of mascarpone mixture over ladyfingers, then half of whipped cream over that. Repeat layers and sprinkle with cocoa. Cover and refrigerate 4 to 6 hours, until set.

INGREDIENTS * 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese * 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk * 1 (5 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix * 3 cups cold milk * 1 teaspoon vanilla extract * 1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed * 4 bananas, sliced * 1/2 (12 ounce) package vanilla wafers DIRECTIONS 1. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Beat in condensed milk, pudding mix, cold milk and vanilla until smooth. Fold in 1/2 of the whipped topping. 2. Line the bottom of a 9x13 inch dish with vanilla wafers. Arrange sliced bananas evenly over wafers. Spread with pudding mixture. Top with remaining whipped topping. Chill

INGREDIENTS * 20 chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed * 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened * 2 cups confectioners' sugar * 3/4 cup peanut butter * 1 (12 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed DIRECTIONS 1. Press crushed cookies into the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan, reserving a few for decoration. In a medium bowl, beat together the cream cheese and confectioners' sugar. Stir in the peanut butter until well blended, then fold in the whipped topping. Spread over the crushed cookie base, sprinkle the remaining cookie chunks on top, and freeze for 1 to 2 hours. Thaw 10 to 15 minutes before cutting and serving.