Desserts are one of my favorite things to make in the kitchen so I was excited to see what the WRAL morning crew had to serve up in the way of recipes.  These are great with the Holiday’s approaching but they would also be good anytime of the year.  Elizabeth and Kelcey bring us the perfect busy mom recipes with a quick but fancy brownie and an organic rice crisp treat.  Bill goes traditional with a delicious pound cake recipe and Brian offers up a Pineapple Delight that is sure to please a crowd.  I have made them all and I can tell you I will be making them again. They are that good!

• 1 box of yellow cake mix
  
• 2 eggs
  
• 1 1/3 cups of cold water
  
• 1 (8oz.) can crushed pineapple
  
• 1 cup sugar
  
• 1 (5.1oz.) instant vanilla pudding
  
• 3 cups cold milk (to make the pudding)
  
• 1 (16oz.) Cool Whip
  
• Coconut (topping- approx. 2 2/3 cup)
• NC Pecans (topping- approx. ½ cup chopped)                                                           
  

Mix together the cake mix, eggs and water and pour into an 11x13x2 pan sprayed with cooking spray, and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Place crushed pineapple and sugar in a saucepan and bring it to a boil, keeping it hot until the cake is done.    Pierce the cake with a fork in rows so that the pineapple and juice will soak in, and then pour the pineapple mixture over the cake.  Do this while the cake is hot.  Let the cake cool.

Take a large package of vanilla instant pudding and prepare it according to the package directions.  Spread it over the pineapple.  Spread one large container of Cool Whip over the vanilla pudding. 

Sprinkle a small package of coconut over the Cool Whip and garnish with NC Pecans.  Keep in refrigerator.

• 2 boxes of Ghirardelli supreme chocolate brownie mix
  
• 2 eggs (to make brownie mix)
  
• ¼ cup water (to make brownie mix)
  
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil (to make brownie mix)
  
• 3 (6.8oz.) Symphony Bars
  
• Cooking spray for the pan
  
• Confectioner’s sugar (to garnish)

Mix up one box of brownie mix following the directions on the box and put it in a 9x13.  Lay the Symphony bars on top breaking apart if necessary so they will fit.  Mix up the 2nd box of brownie mix according to the directions and spread it on top of the chocolate bars.   Bake it at 325 degrees for 45-50 minutes.  After they cool cut them up, stack them on a plate and sprinkle them with confectioner’s sugar

Blend butter, Crisco and sugar to look like ice cream.  Add eggs and then vanilla.  Add flour mixture in three parts.  Alternate with milk; 1/3 flour then 1/3 milk and repeat until complete.  Beat as little as possible.

Bake in pre-heated oven in greased and floured tube pan.   Bake for 60 minutes at 325 degrees and then another 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Peanut Butter Cup Rice Crisp Treats
(Kelcey Carlson)

I really love the twist on this traditional treat with the peanut butter and chocolate chips.  They don’t taste like a traditional rice crisp treat; they are sweeter and have a honey flavor. Most of the organic products were found at Trader Joe’s. 

The peanut butter was produced in North Carolina! This recipe is quick, easy and great for kids. 

• 1 cup creamy peanut butter (all natural or organic)
  
• 1 cup Organic Blue Agave Sweetener
  
• 1 cup Organic Brown Sugar
  
• 7 cups Rice Crisp Cereal
  
• 1 cups milk chocolate chips
  

Heat the brown sugar and the sweetener until it bubbles.  Add the peanut butter and stir to combine.  Pour the mixture over the crisp cereal and stir.  Add the chocolate chips.  Press into a 9x13 casserole dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray and refrigerate for several hours to harden and cool.