Ingredients

• 1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie
• 2 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 25 buttery round crackers
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons butter

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (225 degrees C).
2. Roll out pastry and set aside. Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan.
3. In a small bowl mix together sugar and cream of tartar. Add mixture to boiling water. Stir, then add crackers, one at a time. Boil for 3 minutes, but do not stir.
4. Pour cracker mixture into pastry-lined pie pan. Sprinkle crackers with cinnamon and dot with butter or margarine. Cover with top pastry. Seal edges and cut steam vents in top.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, until crust is golden brown. May need to cover top pastry partway through baking to prevent overbrowning.

Fluffy Hot Chocolate

Ingredients

• 8 teaspoons sugar
• 4 teaspoons baking cocoa
• 4 cups milk
• 1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. In a saucepan, combine the first four ingredients. Cook and stir over medium heat until the marshmallows are melted, about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla. Ladle into mugs.

Easy Strawberry Mousse

Ingredients

• 1 (8 ounce) package PHILADELPHIA Fat Free Cream Cheese, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 1 (4 serving size) package JELL-O Strawberry Flavor Sugar Free Gelatin
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 2 cups thawed COOL WHIP Sugar Free Whipped Topping, divided
• 2 cups sliced strawberries

Directions

1. Beat cream cheese and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on low speed until well blended; set aside.
2. Stir boiling water into dry gelatin mix in small bowl at least 2 min. until completely dissolved. Add cold water; stir until slightly thickened. Gradually add to cream cheese mixture, beating after each addition until well blended. Gently stir in 1-1/2 cups of the whipped topping and the strawberries.
3. Spoon evenly into 10 small dessert dishes. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or until firm. Top each with a dollop of the remaining whipped topping just before serving. Store leftovers in refrigerator.

Berry Layer Cake :)

• Active Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
• Yield: 1 cake

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups (9 oz) fresh raspberries
• 1⁄2 cup fresh blueberries
• 2 tubs (12 oz each) frozen whipped topping, thawed (7 cups)
• 15 whole cinnamon graham crackers
• Garnish: 1 cup fresh blueberries and 11⁄4 cups fresh raspberries

PREPARATION

1. Have ready a serving platter with a serving surface at least 10 x 8 in.

2. Purée raspberries and blueberries in a food processor. Transfer to a large bowl; fold in 5 cups whipped topping; remove and reserve 2 cups.

3. Place 1 graham cracker flat on work surface. Spread with 1⁄4 cup berry cream. Repeat, stacking crackers, until you have 5 layers. Place stack on its side on serving platter so crackers are horizontally upright (see photo, above). Add 10 more layers, sandwiching remaining berry cream and crackers (cream will hold layers together), ending with a cracker.

4. Coat cake with reserved 2 cups berry cream, then carefully cover sides and top with remaining plain topping.

5. Garnish top with alternating diagonal rows of berries, beginning and ending with raspberries. Refrigerate at least 3 hours. Starting at 1 corner, cut cake diagonally for layered effect in 3⁄4-in.-thick slices. Cut 4 largest slices in half.

Planning Tip: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover loosely and refrigerate.

If you try on those Astronaut Ice Cream Sandwiches and you find yourself wanting, then in Martha we trust, right? Take a look at Martha Stewart’s engagingly delicious Chocolate Hearts Ice Cream Sandwich Recipe. Are they not beautiful?

Show that someone how much you love them by cooking this up for dinner tonight, they will not soon forget. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 2 to 2 1/2 pints strawberry ice cream, slightly softened

What’s Next:

In a medium bowl- sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter, vanilla, and sugar.

Add eggs and milk, and mix until combined. Add reserved flour mixture, and mix on low speed until incorporated, scraping the sides of the bowl with a spatula at least once. Divide the dough in half, and shape each half into a flat disk. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap, and chill until firm, about 1 hour.

Go ahead & preheat your oven to 350 F or 175 C.

Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface; use an offset spatula to unstick the dough every few turns of the rolling pin. Roll dough to an 1/8-inch thickness. Cut dough using a variety of heart-shaped cookie cutters from 2 1/2 to 3 inches in diameter, making sure there is a top and bottom cookie for each sandwich.

Place hearts on a parchment-lined baking sheet; chill until firm, about 30 minutes. Remove from refrigerator; use a fork to prick holes all over the surface of the cookies. Bake until firm, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool slightly on baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Using half the cookies, spoon softened strawberry ice cream about 1/2 inch thick on each underside. Place matching cookie on top of ice cream, top-side facing out. Transfer immediately to freezer to harden; repeat with remaining ingredients. Serve directly from the freezer. Sandwiches can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for 3 to 4 days.

Truffles

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 (8 ounce) packages BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate, divided
• 1 (8 ounce) package PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
• Suggested coatings: chopped PLANTERS COCKTAIL Peanuts, multi-colored sprinkles

Directions

1. Melt 8 of the chocolate squares as directed on package; set aside. Beat cream cheese in medium bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Add melted chocolate; mix well. Cover. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm. Meanwhile, cover baking sheet with waxed paper.
2. Shape chocolate mixture into 36 balls, using about 2 tsp. for each ball. Place in single layer on prepared baking sheet.
3. Melt remaining 12 chocolate squares as directed on package. Dip chocolate balls, one at a time, in melted chocolate. Return to baking sheet. Sprinkle with suggested coatings. Refrigerate until chocolate is firm. Store in tightly covered container in refrigerator.