From 'The Lady & Sons Just Desserts'

Banana Split Brownie Pizza

20-ounce box Duncan Hines Chewy Fudge Brownie Mix
(plus ingredients to prepare)
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 8-ounce can crushed pineapple, drained, juice reserved
2 tablespoons sugar
2 bananas, sliced and tossed in lemon juice to prevent
browning
1 cup fresh strawberries, sliced
1 cup chopped nuts
Chocolate ice cream topping or chocolate syrup, for drizzling

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 15-inch pizza pan.
Prepare brownie mix according to directions on box. Pour onto prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until done. Remove from oven and cool. Beat cream cheese, pineapple, and sugar together in a bowl. Use any reserved pineapple juice at this time if needed to soften mixture to a good spreading consistency. Otherwise dispose of or save juice for another use. Spread mixture over brownie crust. Arrange banana and strawberry slices over cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle with chopped nuts and drizzle with chocolate ice cream topping. Refrigerate. To serve, slice as you would a pizza and enjoy!
Serves 8 to 10

Orange-Walnut Sunrise Coffee Cake

1 17.3-ounce can Pillsbury Grands! refrigerated flaky biscuits
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons grated orange peel
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 ounces (1/2 a 3-ounce bar) cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon orange juice, or more as necessary

Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan.
Separate biscuit dough into 8 biscuits. Place 1 biscuit in center of pan. Cut remaining biscuits in half, forming 14 half circles. Arrange pieces around center biscuit with cut sides facing same direction. In a small bowl, combine walnuts, granulated sugar, and orange peel and mix well. Brush butter over tops of biscuits and sprinkle with walnut mixture. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine confectioners' sugar, cream cheese, and enough orange juice for desired drizzling consistency. Blend until smooth, then drizzle over warm coffee cake. Cool 10 minutes. Serve warm.
Serves 8

Douglas's Dark Rum Pecan Pie

1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup dark Karo syrup
3 large eggs, beaten
1 1/2 to 2 cups pecan halves, according to taste
2 tablespoons Myers's
Original Dark Rum
(1 for the pie, 1 for you!)
1 unbaked deep-dish 9-inch pie shell

Preheat oven to 375°F.
Combine sugar and butter in a bowl; stir in syrup, eggs, pecans, and rum. Pour into unbaked pie shell; place on heavy-duty cookie sheet. Bake at 375°F for 10 minutes. Lower oven temperature to 350°F and continue to bake for an additional 25 minutes, or until pie is set. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
Serves 6 to 8

Two Brothers' Chocolate Gobs

CAKE
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 cup cocoa
FILLING
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 425°F.
Cream together sugar and shortening in bowl of an electric mixer until fluffy; add eggs, continuing to beat. Stir together buttermilk, boiling water, and vanilla; blend this into creamed mixture at low speed. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cocoa. Add to mixture 1 cup at a time, blending well at low speed. Batter will be very thin, but not to worry. Drop by teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 5 minutes, allow to cool, and transfer to wax paper.
For filling, put flour into a saucepan and slowly add milk, stirring until smooth. Set over medium heat and cook, stirring, until very thick. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely. Cream together sugar, butter, shortening, and vanilla with a handheld electric mixer. Add cooled flour mixture and whip until fluffy. Spread onto bottom side of cookie and top with another cookie, to make a sandwich. Wrap individually in plastic wrap, store in refrigerator, and save for those snotty-nosed precious little boys and girls.
Yields 25 gobs

From THE LADY & SONS JUST DESSERTS by Paula H. Deen