Pretty enough for a party, pound cake and colorful fresh fruit, are delicious and decorative. To save time, make the mascarpone topping ahead. Ingredients

3 / 4 cup butter

January 8 ounces cream cheese

6 eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 cups sugar

2 tablespoons teaspoon vanilla

January 8 ounce carton mascarpone cheese, softened

1 / 4 cup chopped walnuts

2 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon honey

Various fruits such as kiwi, carambola (star fruit), blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and strawberries, sliced (optional)

Directions

1. Leave the butter, cream cheese and eggs at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, grease and flour a fluted tube pan or two loaf pans 8x4x2 inches 10 inches on one side.

2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Mix flour and yeast, set aside.

3. In a bowl beat the butter and cream cheese with electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar, beating for about 6 minutes or until very light and fluffy. Add vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, beating one minute after each addition and scraping bowl frequently. Add the flour mixture, beating on low to medium speed until smooth. Pour batter into prepared pan, spread with the back of a spoon or small spatula, if necessary, to form an even layer.

4. Bake for 60-65 minutes in tube pan or loaf pans 65-70 minutes or until toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool pan (s) on a rack for 10 minutes. Remove the pan (s) to cool the rack. Cut the cake triangles.

5. In a bowl mix the mascarpone, nuts, milk and honey.

6. To serve, place slices of the pie individual bowls of fruit, if desired. Add a spoonful of mascarpone cheese mixture (about 1 tablespoon per cup). Makes 20 servings.

Make-ahead tip

Prepare mascarpone mixture until two days before, cover and refrigerate.

This classic Italian dessert has triple the chocolate for an intense flavor sensation. Purchased ladyfingers are the key to this quick recipe. Ingredients

2 3-ounce packages of cookies, divided

1 / 4 cup espresso or strong coffee

January 8 oz mascarpone cheese board

1 cup whipping cream

1 / 4 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 / 3 cup chocolate liqueur

1 ounce white chocolate baking squares or white baking bars, grated

1 ounce grated chocolate

unsweetened cocoa powder

coffee beans covered with chocolate chopped (optional)

Directions

1. Cover the bottom of a baking pan 8x8x2 inch biscuits, cutting to fit if necessary. Drizzle half the coffee and biscuits on the side.

2. In a medium bowl, beat the mascarpone cheese, cream, powdered sugar and vanilla with electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Beat in the chocolate liquor not overmix. Pour half the mascarpone mixture over ladyfingers, spreading evenly. Sprinkle with white chocolate and dark chocolate in the mascarpone mixture. Cover with another layer of biscuits (cookies any remaining reserve for another use.) Layer with a coffee and remaining mascarpone mixture.

3. Cover and chill for 6-24 hours. Sift cocoa powder over the top of the cake. If desired, garnish with cocoa.

4. Makes 12 squares

Assemble the cake just before serving to prevent banana slices from browning. Ingredients

Cake

2 1 / 2 cups flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

C. 4.3 teaspoon baking soda

1 / 2 teaspoon baking powder

1 / 2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 / 2 teaspoon salt

3 bananas, mashed (1 1 / 2 cups)

1 / 4 cup nonfat yogurt

1 tablespoon honey

1 tsp tsp vanilla extract

1 / 2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1 / 2 cup light brown sugar

2 large eggs

4 bananas, sliced 1/4-inch thick

Frosting

8 oz low fat cheese cream

1 / 4 cup (1 / 2 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups powdered sugar

3 oz dark chocolate, melted

1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa

Directions

1. At the end of the cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.

2. Sift together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking powder, nutmeg and salt. Whisk together mashed bananas, yogurt, honey and vanilla in separate bowl. Beat butter and brown sugar with electric mixer until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time until combined. Stir in flour mixture, then mashed bananas until well blended.

3. Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on rack for 10 minutes, unmold and cool completely Cake.

4. For the icing: cream cheese, butter and vanilla with electric mixer until smooth. Add powdered sugar, then chocolate and cocoa powder.

5. To assemble, place one cake layer on serving plate. Spread 1 cup frosting. Cover with half the banana slices. Add second layer cake, and garnish with remaining banana slices and glaze. Cut into 16 slices. Serve at room temperature.

Surprise! Betty Crocker® Rich & Creamy frosting tops an easy cake that has yummy pockets of caramel. Ingredients

1 box of Betty Crocker ® ® SuperMoist white cake mix

white water, butter and eggs has prompted this box cake mix

3 / 4 cup caramel topping

chocolate 1 container Betty Crocker ® Rich & Creamy frosting

2 small red apples, quarter total of 12

2 tablespoons orange juice

1 / 4 cup caramel topping

1 / 4 cup chopped walnuts, if desired

Direntions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (325 degrees F for dark or nonstick pan).

2. Make cake pan box direct 13x9 inch, cool 15 minutes. Poke holes in the semi-cake every 2 inches, wooden handle with a spoon evenly pour 3 / 4 cup caramel topping over the holes. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Spread the icing on the cake evenly.

3. Dip the edges of the apple slices in orange juice to prevent browning, a little dry. Dip edges uncut quarter cup caramel filling and roll in nuts. Cover and refrigerate. Just before serving, place a piece of apple on each piece of the pie. Store covered cake, cover and refrigerate any remaining quarters apple.

Council

High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Follow High Altitude directions on cake mix 13x9 inch pan.

You'll need six 4-inch tartlet pans to make these small tarts. If you don't have all the nuts on hand, just use 1-1/2 cups total of what you do have; I've made this recipe with just cashews--it's delicious.
Ingredients

6-3/4 ounces (1-1/2 cups) all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

1 / 2 c. teaspoon baking powder

Pinch of salt

2 oz (4 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 tablespoon cold water 1-1/2 c. tea more if necessary

1 / 2 cup cashews, toasted

almonds 1 / 2 cup sliced, toasted

1 / 2 cup toasted walnut pieces

1 / 3 cup shredded coconut, toasted and

1 / 2 cup golden raisins

1-1/4 cups hot butterscotch sauce

Cream sauce caramel

4 ounces (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter

2 / 3 cup dark brown sugar

2 / 3 cup sugar

1-1/2 c. teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons water

3 / 4 cup light corn syrup

3 / 4 cup heavy cream

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Direnctions

1. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add butter and cut the dough with two knives, a pastry blender or fingertips until mixture resembles crumbly. Add egg and 1 tablespoon water and mix with fork until dough holds together just. (If the dough does not come together, add up to another 1-1/2 teaspoons of water, a little at a time.) Do not overmix the dough should feel slightly sticky. Shape dough into a log 6 inches. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut the chilled dough into six equal pieces. Roll each piece into a round about 1 / 8 inch thick. Rummaging around with a fork and gently into the cake pan 4 inches, trim any excess dough.

3. Line each tart with foil and fill the dried beans or pie weights. Bake tart shells for about 15 minutes. Remove the pie weights and foil and cook for 5 minutes, until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine the toasted nuts, coconut and raisins with warm caramel sauce. Divide filling among six tartlets. Bake until filling just starts to bubble, from 7 to 9 minutes. Using a wide spatula, transfer the cake onto a wire rack. Let the cakes cool for 5 minutes. Carefully remove the cakes from their pans and serve warm with a dollop of whipped cream or unsweetened whipped cream if desired.

Caramel sauce

In a medium, heavy saucepan, melt butter. Stir in both sugars, salt, water and corn syrup. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Cook the mixture for 5 minutes, stirring often. You'll see large, slow bubbles as it boils. Remove sauce from heat. Slowly whisk the cream and vanilla (the sauce can spray). Let the sauce cool to warm before serving.

Make ahead: Refrigerated, this sauce will keep for about two weeks. Reheat over low heat, add cream if too thick.

Directions
1. Allow butter and eggs to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, grease and lightly flour a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan; set aside. In a little bowl, pour boiling water over dried cranberries; let stand for 10 minutes. Drain well; set aside. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda; set aside.
2. In a immense mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar, 3 tablespoons at a time, beating on medium speed about 6 minutes or until very light and fluffy. Add orange peel and vanilla. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well on low to medium speed after each addition, scraping bowl often. Alternately add the flour mixture and sour cream to butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition  until combined. Stir in cranberries. Pour batter in to prepared pan.
3. Bake in a 325 degree F oven about 70 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near middle comes out neat. (Cake will be high in pan.) chilled for 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack. Remove from pan and  chilled on wire rack. If you like, sift powdered sugar over cake  before serving. Makes 10 to 12 servings.


Ingredients
3/4 cup  butter
3   eggs
2/3 cup  dried cranberries, snipped dried cherries, dried blueberries and/ or currants
2-1/2 cups  all-purpose flour
1 tsp.  baking powder
1/2 tsp.  salt
1/2 tsp.  baking soda
1-1/4 cups  granulated sugar
1 Tbsp.  finely shredded orange or lemon peel
1-1/2 tsp.  vanilla
1 8-oz. carton  dairy sour cream
  Powdered sugar (optional)

Directions
1. merge the flour, the 1/3 cup brown sugar, the baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg, cloves, & salt. Set aside.
2. merge dates & margarine. Add the 1 cup boiling water. Stir until margarine melts. Stir in vanilla. Stir date mixture & black walnuts in to the flour mixture  until smooth. Spread in an ungreased 2-quart square baking dish.
3. Stir together the 1-1/2 cups boiling water & the 1 cup brown sugar. Pour evenly over batter in pan. Bake in a 350 degree F oven about 45 minutes or until cake tests finished. Serve cake warm. If desired, serve with whipped cream. Makes 9 servings.


Ingredients
1-1/4 cups  all-purpose flour
1/3 cup  packed brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon  baking soda
1/2 teaspoon  baking powder
1/8 teaspoon  ground nutmeg
Dash  ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon  salt
1 cup  pitted whole dates, snipped
3 tablespoons  margarine or butter, cut up
1 cup  boiling water
1 teaspoon  vanilla
1/2 cup  chopped black walnuts
1-1/2 cups  boiling water
1 cup  packed brown sugar
  Whipped cream (optional)