Peg Herring, Mystery Author

Also called Macaroon Pie, this one's easy but really good! In a blender: 2 eggs 1 c. milk 3/4 c. sugar 1/2 c. flour 2 tbsp. melted butter/oleo 1/2 tsp. vanilla 1/2 tsp. nutmeg 1/2 tsp. salt Blend well. Pour into greased pie plate and sprinkle with 1 c. flaked coconut. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes, until golden brown.

                                                       This one always makes me feel like I can do magic! Brownie batter 1 c. flour 3/4 c. sugar 2 tbsp. cocoa 2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 c. milk 2 tbsp. oil 1 tsp. vanilla Pudding 3/4 c. brown sugar 1/4 c. cocoa 1 3/4 c. hot water Mix together first 5 ingredients. Add milk, oil, and vanilla (I add 1/2 c. walnuts here). Stir well and put into greased 8x8 baking pan. (Batter is thick; I flatten it a little with a spatula.) Combine brown sugar and cocoa in a bowl. Pour hot water in and stir until liquified. Pour over the brownie batter. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. When done, the brownies are on top and below them is rich, dark pudding. Scoop out a serving, turn it upside down in a bowl, and add ice cream or whipped cream, and you've got a major treat that was easy to make!

The pudding you use is your choice. I like pistachio for this one. 1 stick oleo/butter 1 c. flour 1/2 c. chopped nuts 8 oz. cream cheese 1 c. powdered sugar 1 package Cool Whip 3 c. milk 2 small packages instant pudding Layer 1: Melt oleo, add flour and nuts. Press into 9x13 pan and bake at 375 degrees for 15 min. Layer 2: Blend cream cheese & p. sugar, add 1 c. Cool Whip. Mix and spread over cooled Layer 1. Layer 3: Mix 2 pudding mixes with milk. Pour over 1 & 2. Chill until set. Layer 4: Spread remaining Cool Whip on top

The easiest and best hot fudge sauce for ice cream, desserts (or even to eat with a spoon, as someone I know well tends to do). 1 can sweetened condensed milk 1 square baking chocolate 1 scoop peanut butter (more or less to your taste) Melt the baking chocolate in a saucepan. Pour in milk and mix well over low heat. Add peanut butter for a creamy consistency and rich taste. Stores well in the fridge, I hear, but it never lasts long at my house so I can't speak to that! Put it in a pretty jar and it makes a great gift, too.

Any sugar cookie recipe will do for these cookies, but here's one that's good. It's the decorations that make them fun. 1/2 c. margarine/butter, softened 4 oz. cream cheese 1 1/4 c. powdered sugar 1 egg 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract 1/4 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. baking powder 3 c. flour Oven 350 degrees  Combine butter, cream cheese, and p. sugar with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg, vanilla, salt, and baking powder. With mixer on low, add flour until dough holds together. Make it into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill at least 1 hour. On lightly floured surface, roll dough 1/4 inch thick and cut into triangle shapes. Bake 15 minutes until edges brown lightly. Cool completely. Frost cookies with chocolate icing. Break pretzel loops off and set them along top edge for antlers. Add candies or dots of colored frosting for for eyes and noses.

This recipe can get a little fussy, but that's what it's all about in Christmas baking, right? 1 1/2 c. sugar 1/2 c. oleo/butter 1/4 c. shortening 1/2 c. milk 3 eggs 1 1/2 c. flour Flavorings (see below) Combine the first six ingredients and blend for 2 minutes at medium speed. Add flavorings you want from this list or make up your own. I like to divide up the batter and make three or four differently flavored cakes, which takes smaller pans. If you make it all the same flavor, use a 9x13 pan.   For egg nog: 1 tsp. nutmeg, 2 tsp. rum extract, 1/2 c. chopped nuts   For cherry: 1 tsp. almond extract, 8 oz. jar of chopped maraschino cherries   For lemon: 2 tsp. lemon juice, 2 tsp. grated lemon peel   For orange: 2 tsp. orange juice, 2 tsp grated orange peel   For nut: 1 tsp. vanilla, 1/2 tsp. almond extract, 1/2 c. chopped nuts   For coconut: 1/2 tsp. coconut extract, 1/4 tsp. almond extract, 1/3 c. flaked coconut Bake 25-35 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool, cut int

I only make these once a year because the cooking part takes so darned long. Still, they're wonderful little bits of heaven, and they cost a fraction of what you'll pay in a candy store. 2 c. sugar Dash salt 2 c. white corn syrup 1/2 stick butter 2 c. condensed milk 1 tsp. vanilla Boil sugar, salt and corn syrup to 245 degrees. Add butter & milk (don't let it stop boiling). Cook to 242 degrees, stirring constantly (this is the part that takes forever, but it you aren't careful it will scorch on the bottom and you'll have lumps of yukky stuff.) Add vanilla. Pour into 9-inch square pan and cool. Cut into squares and wrap in waxed paper.