Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup Hershey's Cocoa
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup melted butter
3 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
1 can sweetend condensed milk
3 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup Hershey's mini chips semi-sweet chocolate, divided
1 tsp. flour

Heat oven to 300 degrees.  In bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, cocoa, sugar, and butter.  Press evenly on bottom of 9 inch springform pan.  In large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy.
Gradually add sweetened condensed milk, beating until smooth.  Add eggs and vanilla, mix well.  In small bowl, toss 1/2 cup mini chips with flour to coat.  Stir into cheese mixture.  Pour into prepared pan.  Sprinkle remaining chips evenly over top.  Bake 1 hour.  Turn off oven, allow to cool in oven 1 hour.  Remove from oven, cool to room temperature.  Refrigerate.

Banana Pudding

3/4 cup sugar, divided
1/3 cup flour
5 ripe bananas, sliced
3 eggs, separated
2 cups milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
45 vanilla wafers, divided

Mix 1/2 cup sugar & flour.  Blend in 3 egg yolks and milk.  Cook uncovered 10-12 minutes over medium to medium-high heat, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat, stir in vanilla.  Spread small amount in dish.  Cover with layer of wafers and a layer of banana slices.  Pour 1/3 of custard over bananas.  continue to layer (3 layers each) ending with custard.  Beat egg whites until soft peaks form.  Add 1/4 cup sugar and beat.  Spoon on top of pudding.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.  Store in fridge.

*I usually double the custard.

Berry Cobbler

4 tbls. unsalted butter, melted
1 (12 oz.) package frozen blueberries, or raspberries
1 cup sugar, divided
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1 cup milk
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
vanilla ice cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toss raspberries with 3/4 cup sugar in a bowl.
Stir together: flour, milk, vanilla extract, and remaining sugar.
Add hot melted butter to flour mixture and stir until blended. Pour into a lightly greased baking dish (I use a round 2 1/2 quart corning dish). Pour berry mixture into center of batter and evenly spread (gently).
Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until top is golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream, if desired.

*You may substitute frozen mixed berries.

Fresh Fruit Ice Cream

Now that summer is here, you can bet that we will be making home-made ice cream. This is the recipe that I have always used and it is very good!

3 cups (1 1/2 pints) Half-and-half
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
1 cup pureed or mashed fresh fruit (bananas, peaches, strawberries)
1 tbls. vanilla

Mix and freeze in ice cream freezer according to your freezers directions.

*To make Vanilla Ice Cream
Omit the fruit and increase the half-and-half to 4 cups.

(I double this recipe to fit our ice cream maker.)