Updated

TV host and author bakes up some of her favorite dishes!

SHINGLED STRAWBERRY-PINEAPPLE COBBLER

Makes 6 servings

Bake for 35 minutes

Ingredients

Nonstick vegetable cooking spray, Pam®

1 pound fresh strawberries, hulled and halved

1 can (20-ounce) pineapple chunks in juice, drained, Dole®

? cup strawberry jelly, Smucker's®

3 tablespoons lemonade concentrate, thawed

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 refrigerated rolled piecrust (½ of a 15-ounce package)

2 teaspoons packed brown sugar, C&H®

? teaspoon ground cinnamon

Method

1. Preheat oven to 425°. Spray a 2-quart casserole with cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl, combine strawberries, pineapple, and strawberry jelly. In a small bowl, stir together lemonade concentrate and flour. Pour flour mixture over fruit mixture and stir until combined. Spoon into prepared casserole and set aside.

3. Unroll piecrust onto a lightly floured surface. Cut in half and set one half aside. Cut remaining half lengthwise into 3 strips. Cut strips into 1 ½-inch squares; set aside. Sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon over top of the remaining half of the piecrust; use your fingers to rub into surface of dough. Cut into strips and 1 ½-inch squares as before. Shingle dough squares over fruit in an alternating diamond pattern.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 45 minutes or until bubbling and piecrust squares are golden. Serve warm.

SOUR CREAM CAKE

Makes 9 servings

Bake for 40 minutes

Ingredients

Nonstick spray for baking, Pam®

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

5 tablespoons butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

? cup sour cream

Vanilla frosting

Cocoa powder (optional)

Fresh raspberries (optional)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 325°. Spray an 8-inch square cake pan with spray for baking and set aside. In a large bowl, combine sugar, eggs, butter, and vanilla; beat with an electric mixer on medium speed about 3 minutes or until thick and lighter in color.

2. In a medium bowl, sift together flour and baking powder. Alternately add flour mixture and sour cream to egg mixture, stirring until smooth. Do not overmix. Pour into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Frost with vanilla frosting, sprinkle with cocoa powder, and garnish with fresh raspberries (optional).

BANANA SPLIT CUPCAKES

Makes 24 cupcakes

Bake for 16 minutes, cool for 30 minutes

Ingredients

1 package (18.25 ounces) banana supreme cake mix

11/3 cups banana-pineapple nectar, Kern's®

1/3 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple, Dole®

1 can (12 ounces) whipped cream frosting

2 tablespoons powdered sugar, Domino®/C&H®

1 teaspoon imitation strawberry extract

2 drops red food coloring

1 can (12 ounces) whipped vanilla frosting

1 can (12 ounces) whipped chocolate frosting

1/2 cup nut topping, Fisher®

24 maraschino cherries with stems, drained and patted dry

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line twenty four 21/2-inch muffin cups with paper bake cups; set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl, beat cake mix, nectar, oil, and eggs with an electric mixer on low for 30 seconds. Scrape down side of bowl; beat for 2 minutes on medium. Add crushed pineapple; stir until combined. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full.

3. Bake for 16 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in muffin cups on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from muffin cups; cool completely on rack.

4. For the strawberry frosting, in a medium bowl, stir together whipped cream frosting, powdered sugar, strawberry extract, and red food coloring until smooth.

5. To frost cupcakes, insert a large round tip into a large pastry bag. Fill pastry bag half full with equal amounts of the strawberry, vanilla, and chocolate frostings, placing each frosting in a wide strip along the side of the bag (you'll have 3 separate stripes of frosting). Pipe a large swirl of frosting on each cupcake, refilling pastry bag with frostings as needed. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of the nut topping on each cupcake; top each cupcake with a maraschino cherry.

CARROT CAKE WHOOPIE PIES

Makes 12 pies

Baker for 10 minutes

Ingredients

1 (18-ounce) box carrot cake mix

1 stick (½ cup) butter, softened

3 eggs

1 carrot, grated

? cup raisins

Ingredients for the filling

1 pound cream cheese

1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup walnuts, finely chopped

Method

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.

2. In a large bowl, beat together cake mix with butter, slowly add the eggs, and mix until incorporated. Stir in the grated carrot and raisins. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours. Remove from the refrigerator and, using a small ice cream scoop, drop batter onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet in mounds about 2 tablespoons each, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown, rotating pans halfway through. Remove from oven and cool 5 minutes on pan before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.

3. In a mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla with a hand mixer until well combined, light, and fluffy.

4. To assemble whoopie pies, put filling into a zip-top bag and snip off one corner. Place chopped walnuts into a shallow dish or pie plate. Flip over one carrot cake cookie and pipe about ¼ cup of frosting onto center of flat side. Top with another cookie, flat-side down, and press gently to distribute frosting to edges. Roll edges of pie in the chopped walnuts and set aside. Repeat with remaining cookies and frosting.