1 c sifted flour

2 tbs sugar

2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

1/3 c shortening

3/4 c milk

1 well-beaten egg

1 1/4 c grape nut flakes \

Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

Cut in shortening.

Add milk and beaten egg. Mix just enough to moisten dry ingredients.

Gently stir in cereal.

Spoon into greased muffin cups, filling each about 2/3 full. Bake at 400 degrees about 20 minutes.

Makes about 10 medium-size muffins.

CAKE:

1 1/4 c vegetable oil

2 c sugar

3 eggs

3 c flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

2 c chopped canned Bartlett pears in syrup, well drained (reserve syrup for glaze)

1 c chopped pecans

GLAZE:

1 tbs butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 c 10x sugar

2-3 syrup from canned pears

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. In a mixing bowl, combine the oil, sugar, and eggs, and beat well. Sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. Add this to the creamed mixture and stir until blended. Stir in the vanilla. Fold in the pears and pecans. Grease and flour a 10:” tube pan or bundt pan and spoon in the batter. Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until the cake tests done. Let the cake cool for 20 minutes, then turn it out onto a cake rack to cool completely. While the cake cools, make the glaze. Blend the butter and 10x sugar with enough of the reserved pear syrup to make a smooth, slightly runny glaze. Drizzle the glaze over the cake top, letting some run down the sides.

Serves 16-20

1/2 c shortening, softened

2 c packed brown sugar

1 c sour cream

1 1/4 c flour

3 lg eggs, separated

1 tbs baking soda

1 tbs cloves, crushed

1 tsp ground allspice

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease and set aside a 5″x9″ loaf pan.

In a lg bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar. Add the sour cream and mix well. Then add the flour, egg yolks, baking soda, cloves, allspice, and salt. Stir in the vanilla. Beat the egg whites until stiff and then fold them into the mixture. Bake in the prepared pan until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes.

Serves 6-8

2 c cake flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

4 lg eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2 c sugar

1 c milk

1 tbs butter

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9″x13″ pan, flour only the bottom, and set aside.

In a lg bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In another lg bowl, beat the eggs and vanilla together. Then gradually add the sugar and continue beating until the mixture becomes light and lemon-colored. Blend the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture. Bring the milk and butter to the boiling point. Then quickly stir into the batter and blend well. Pour quickly into the prepared baking pan. Bake until the cake is set, 35-40 minutes.

Serves 6-8

9 1/2 c flour

6 c sugar

1/4 c baking powder

1 tbs salt

2 1/2 c shortening, softened

In a lg bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt and add the softened shortening. Cut in until the mixture resembles very fine crumbs. Divide the mixture into 4 equal portions of 4 1/2 cups each. Place in airtight containers and store in a cool, dry place for up to 2 months. Or place in freezer containers and freeze for up to 6 months.

TO USE; Allow the mix to come to room temperature.

Serves 15

1 c sugar

1 c salad dressing (miracle whip)

1/2 c milk

2 c unsweetened applesauce

1 tsp vanilla

3 c flour

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground allspice

1/2 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9″x13″ pan and set aside.

In a lg bowl, cream together the sugar, salad dressing, and milk. Beat in the applesauce and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt. Add the dry ingredients, a little at a time, to the wet mixture. The batter will be thick and slightly lumpy. Pour into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 35-40 minutes.

Serves 8-12

CUPCAKES:

1/2 c sugar

1/4 c land o lakes cinnamon sugar butter spread

1/4 c buttermilk*

1 (1 oz) square unsweetened chocolate, melted

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 c flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 c boiling water

FROSTING:

1/3 c land o lakes cinnamon sugar butter spread

1 (1 oz) square unsweetened chocolate, melted

2 c powdered sugar

2 tbs unsweetened cocoa

1/3 c whipping cream

decorator sprinkles, if desired

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place foil or paper baking cups into 30 (1 1/4″) muffin pan cups. Set aside

Combine sugar and 1/4 cup cinnamon sugar butter spread in large bowl; beat at med speed until well mixed. Add buttermilk, 1 oz melted chocolate, egg and vanilla; continue beating until well mixed. Reduce speed to LOW; add flour, baking soda and salt. Beat until well mixed. Add boiling water; continue beating until smooth.

Spoon about 1 tbs batter into each prepared muffin pan cups. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely.

Place 1/3 cup cinnamon sugar butter spread and melted chocolate in med bowl. Beat a med speed, until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar and cocoa, alternately with whipping cream, beating well after each addition until creamy.

Pipe or frost each cupcake with about 1 tbs frosting; sprinkle with decorate sprinkles, if desired.

Yield: 30 mini cupcakes