Our prayer for this month is that we will enjoy God’s goodness. We don’t want to over-spiritualize sweet treats, but we do enjoy eating dessert. So we are savoring the goodness and grace of God with these sweet recipes this month and thought you would like them, too! Thanks to our friends at HomeLife Magazine for providing these for us!
Fudge Pie
Contributed by Paula Arrington
“I love this recipe because I usually have everything I need on hand, and the grandkids love chocolate! For those who love pecans, it is better with nuts; but the grands don’t like nuts, so I leave out the pecans and they love it.”
Makes 8-10 servings
Ingredients
12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) butter
4 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 ½ cups sugar
½ cup all-purpose flour
3 eggs
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)
Directions
Melt butter in a saucepan and add cocoa. Stir well. Remove from heat. Add sugar and stir well. Add flour, eggs, salt, and vanilla, and beat with a whisk or spoon. Add pecans if desired and stir well. Pour into 10-inch buttered glass pie pan. (Butter well, or the edges will stick.) Bake at 300 degrees for about 40 minutes.
Kitchen Tip: For a deeper chocolate flavor, add additional cocoa powder or use a
dark chocolate cocoa, like Hershey’s Special Dark®.
Strawberry Pretzel Parfaits
Contributed by Jo-Lynne Shane
“For special occasions and holiday dinners, my mom used to make a delicious strawberry pretzel Jell-O salad that we all loved. I don’t really do Jell-o these days, but these parfaits are easy to make and delicious.”
Makes 5 servings
Ingredients
1 quart strawberries, sliced into quarters
2 teaspoons sugar
2 cups pretzel twists
¼ cup melted butter
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups sour cream
¼ cup brown sugar
Directions
Rinse and drain the strawberry slices and sprinkle with sugar; allow them to sit and soak in the sugar while you’re preparing the rest. Pulse the pretzels in a food processor until they are in small chunks. Add the melted butter and cinnamon to the pretzels and pulse a few more times to combine. In a separate bowl, combine sour cream and brown sugar. In parfait glasses or tall glasses, layer the sour cream, the strawberries, and the pretzels; repeat. Finish up with another dollop of sour cream on top. Garnish with a pretzel and a strawberry slice and a sprig of mint, if desired.
Kitchen Tip: Serve these right away so the pretzels keep their crunch. If you prefer a sweeter cream filling, try a more traditional combo of 4 ounces cream cheese beaten together with ½ cup sugar, then 4 ounces of defrosted frozen whipped topping folded in.
Chocolate Eclair Dessert
Contributed by Robin Dance
“I scribbled this recipe on a Post-It note, and it’s been attached to the inside pocket of my tattered recipe book for about 25 years! My son Stephen always asks for this instead of birthday cake.”
Makes 16 servings
Cake Ingredients
2 (3.4-ounce) containers instant French vanilla pudding mix
3 cups milk
8 ounces frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 box graham crackers
Topping Ingredients
2 ounces baking chocolate
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons corn syrup
½ cup sifted powdered sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons milk
Directions
Mix together the pudding and milk; then gently stir in the whipped topping. Using an ungreased 9-by-12-inch glass casserole dish, line the bottom with graham crackers; evenly pour half the pudding mixture over them. Add another layer of graham crackers, then the remainder of the pudding mixture. Top with a final layer of graham crackers. Melt baking chocolate, then mix with other topping ingredients. Pour chocolate topping over the layers, spreading evenly. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours before serving.
Kitchen Tip: You can use any chocolate sauce you want, even canned chocolate frosting in a pinch. Just make sure to refrigerate the dessert so the graham crackers won’t be crunchy and the flavors have a chance to meld together.
Pantry List:
Fudge Pie
butter, cocoa powder, eggs, flour, salt, sugar, vanilla
Strawberry Pretzel Parfaits
brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, sugar
Chocolate Eclair Dessert
baking chocolate, butter, corn syrup, milk, powdered sugar
Shopping List:
Fudge Pie
chopped pecans
Strawberry Pretzel Parfaits
pretzel twists, strawberries,
sour cream
Chocolate Eclair Dessert
French vanilla pudding mix, frozen whipped topping, graham crackers
HomeLife is looking for family- friendly, budget-conscious, original recipes from readers like you. Simply email us your recipe, name and contact info to homelife@lifeway.com. We will pay $25 for each recipe that is printed. We regret that mailed submissions cannot be accepted. Recipes become the property of HomeLife and may be edited prior to publication. Share Your Recipe with HomeLife!
Food Styling and Photography by AlyssaJoyPhoto.com.