October is National Dessert Month. Yes, there is a whole month dedicated to what I think I should be considered a meal. Raise your hand if you plan your main meal by looking at the dessert menu first when eating out (my hand’s raised high!).
In honor of the holiday, I thought I’d spotlight the top six Pinched dessert recipes on Just A Pinch. Combined they’ve been Pinched over 176,000 times.
“STOP, don’t pass this recipe by,” jokes Ann McCue (Side Lake, MN). “Lemon lover or not, these bars are SO melt in your mouth you’ll want to eat the whole pan.”
Ann sets pretty high expectations for her Melt in Your Mouth Lemon Bars. And, you know what… they are every bit as good as she says! Perfectly sweet and tart, these creamy bars are a perfect after-dinner or brunch treat.
Deliciously buttery, Sherry Symmonds’e (Hamilton, MS) Cream Cheese Cake Mix Cookies are seriously good. They’re the ultimate sweet treat.
“Oh my gosh, these are good and so easy,” says Sherry. “I love the flavor the cream cheese gives it.” Sherry used a French vanilla cake mix and some chocolate chips. In the Test Kitchen, we used a butter cake mix with chocolate chips. That’s one of the things I love most is you can really customize this recipe based on what you like – or what you find in the pantry.
Everyone needs a delicious chocolate cake recipe in their recipe box. I highly recommend adding Lisa Glass’ (Englewood, OH) Chocolate Cake Recipe to yours. “When my mother passed away, a close family friend made us two wonderful cakes,” explains Lisa. “One was the Kentucky Apple cake and the other was this moist, dense chocolate cake, which was a hit with my three sons and their friends. My twin boys requested this for their birthday with one stipulation – they each wanted their own cake, just for them!”
One bite and you’ll see why Lisa’s sons request their personal cakes. It’s one of the best I’ve made. Simple and straightforward, this is an old-school recipe and one everyone will love. Don’t worry about the addition of coffee. You really don’t taste it but it enhances the coffee flavor. Be sure to have plenty of milk on hand when serving this.
“This is my daughter’s favorite cake of all cakes,” shares Cassie (Pennsylvania). “The first time I made it she said I never had to make any other type cakes… this one suited her just fine. I like the dense texture, together with the creaminess of the cream cheese frosting, and the crunchiness of the toasted coconut.”
Hands down, this Coconut Topped/Cream Cheese Sheet Cake is one scrumptious dessert. The coconut milk adds extra coconut flavor, but it’s not overwhelming. If you’re a coconut fan, you’ll definitely be a fan. It is on the dense side, so if you like a hearty cake this recipe is for you.
When preparing Robyn Witte’s (Hartford, IA) recipe you’ll notice the pie has no crust. That’s because once baked the crust magically appears. It’s seriously a Magic Crust Custard Pie. “My mom used to make this yummy custard,” says Robyn. “The flour settles to the bottom and creates its own crust.” This yummy dessert is similar to a chess pie in taste but prepared in a wonderfully unique way.
Wanda Harrison (Henderson, TN) got the recipe for her Mama Seward’s Strawberry Cake Recipe form her daughter’s grandmother and thinks “it’s absolutely incredible.” Incredible it is! This tried and true recipe creates one of the moistest cakes I’ve had. If I close my eyes while eating it, the aroma almost makes me feel as though I’m eating fresh strawberries. With over 24,000 Pinches it seems others love this recipe too.
If you haven’t Pinched one of these recipes, I highly suggest you do. They’re all fantastic! Do you have a favorite dessert recipe? Make sure to share it. Happy Pinching!