These are really good. Don't skimp on the pecans. They add great taste and texture.

Caramel Pecan Bars

1 cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup lightly packed brown sugar
½ cup oats
½ cup butter, cold
1 egg, beaten
¾ cup chopped pecans
1 can (300 mL) Regular or Low Fat Eagle Brand® sweetened condensed milk
25 caramels, unwrapped
¼ cup butter

Combine flour, brown sugar and oats. Cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in egg and nuts. Mix well. Reserve 1 1/2 cups (375 mL) crumb mixture.

Press remainder firmly onto bottom of greased 13 x 9-inch (3.5 L) baking pan. Bake in preheated 350°F (180°C) oven for 15 minutes.

Heat Eagle Brand, caramels and butter in saucepan on low heat, stirring constantly until smoothly melted. Pour over crust.

Sprinkle reserved crumbs evenly on top. Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Cool. Cut into bars.

What kind of tastes are you going for? Flavors, finger foods, pies, cakes, puddings?

Quick Rice Pudding

3 c water
1/2 rice
1/2 t salt
1/2 t vanilla
1 can (14 0z) sweet condensed milk
1/2 c raisins
2 eggs slightly beaten
1 t nutmeg or cinnamon

In saucepan boil water, rice and salt. Simmer uncovered 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Add milk, vanilla and rainsins. Return to heat. Quickly stir in eggs. Stir over low heat til coats metal spoon. Sprinkle with nutmeg or cinnamon. Serves 4 - 6.

Not Yo' Mama's Banana Pudding
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

2 bags Pepperidge Farm Chessmen cookies
6 to 8 bananas, sliced
2 cups milk
1 (5-ounce) box instant French vanilla pudding
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12-ounce) container frozen whipped topping thawed, or equal amount sweetened whipped cream

Line the bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch dish with 1 bag of cookies and layer bananas on top.
In a bowl, combine the milk and pudding mix and blend well using a handheld electric mixer. Using another bowl, combine the cream cheese and condensed milk together and mix until smooth. Fold the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture. Add the cream cheese mixture to the pudding mixture and stir until well blended. Pour the mixture over the cookies and bananas and cover with the remaining cookies. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Here's a couple "sauce on the bottom" cake puddings:

Diane's Home Cookin Chapter: Pudding Cakes

Cinnamon Pudding Cake
=====================
1-3/4 cups brown sugar
1 ½ cup cold water
2 tablespoons Butter

1 cup milk
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons Butter
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons Baking powder
½ tsp. Salt
2 ½ teaspoon Cinnamon
½ c. chopped walnuts ( optional )
. Preheat oven to 350°

Combine brown sugar, water & 2 Tbsp butter in small saucepan, bring to
a boil, remove from heat & set aside.

Cream together 2 Tbsp. Butter and sugar, add milk, then add flour,
baking powder, salt & cinnamon.Spread in ungreased 9 x 9 x 2 in. Pan or
oven proof dish. Pour reserved brown sugar syrup over batter-sprinkle
with nuts.

Bake 35-40 min.

Shared by D. Nourse to Citizen Recipe Request Column 1999

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Chocolate Raspberry Pudding Cake
================================
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
3 tablespoons LAND O LAKES® Butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 (10-ounce) package frozen raspberries in syrup, thawed
1 cup hot water
1/3 cup chocolate flavor syrup
Powdered sugar, if desired
Fresh raspberries, if desired
. Heat oven to 350°F. Place flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder and salt
into greased 8- or 9-inch square baking pan; stir with fork to combine.
Stir in milk, butter and vanilla until well mixed. Stir in raspberries.

Combine hot water and chocolate syrup in small bowl. Pour evenly over
batter. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until center is set and edges pull
away from sides of pan. Let stand 25 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered
sugar and garnish with fresh raspberries, if desired.

Ingredient Substitution Index

Nutrition Facts (1 serving): Calories: 220, Fat: 4.5g, Cholesterol:
10mg, Sodium: 310mg, Carbohydrates: 45g, Dietary Fiber: 3g, Protein: 3g

12864 © 2007 Land O'Lakes, Inc--serves 9

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Apple Pudding Cake
==================
posted by NotEnoughRoses

Cake mixture:
1 cup chopped pecans
2/3 cup vegetable shortening
1-1/3 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups all-purpose flour
6 cups peeled and chopped apples (about 5 medium apples)

Sauce mixture:
1-1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup water
1 cup heavy cream, optional
. Preheat the oven to 325° F. Grease a 13- x 9- x 2-inch pan. In a frying
pan over low-medium heat, toast the pecans until they begin to color
and become fragrant, about 7 minutes. Pour into a dish and set aside.
In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the shortening
and granulated sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat well after each
addition. Sift together the baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and flour,
and beat into the sugar mixture. Fold in the chopped apples and the
nuts. The mixture will be stiff. Spread into the prepared pan. (Don't
bake it yet.) In a medium saucepan, stir together the brown sugar and
the 2 tablespoons of flour. Add the butter, vanilla and water, stir,
and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Boil gently for 3 minutes,
stirring often. Pour this hot sauce evenly over the batter. Do not
stir. Bake 1 hour. Serve warm, with whipped cream if desired. Serves 10
to 12.

From the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, 6/14/01.

My mom posted one of my all time favorites ....

Snickerdoodles

* 3/4 cup sugar
* 1/2 cup butter or margarine softened
* 1 egg
* 1 1/2 cups flour
* 1/4 tsp. salt
* 1/4 tsp. baking soda
* 1/4 rsp. cream of tartar
* 2 tbsp. sugar
* 2 tsp. cinnamon

In large mixing bowl, mix cream of tartar, sugar, and shortening. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine all dry ingredients and stir into butter mixture.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll each ball into mixture of 2 tbsp. sugar and 2 tsp. cinnamon. Bake at 375 degrees on greased cookie sheet for 8-10 minutes.

Here's a good one from Rachael Ray's MIL:

Grandma Lu's Cassata Cake

16 ounces ricotta cheese
2 pints heavy cream, whipped
3 tablespoons sugar
2 sponge cakes (store-bought or homemade)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 chocolate bars
Maraschino cherries

PreparationMix ricotta, one pint of the whipped heavy cream, sugar and vanilla in a bowl until smooth. Add one roughly chopped chocolate bar. Fold in.

Spray a large bowl with nonstick cooking spray. Slice sponge cake into 1/2-inch pieces. Line the bowl with one layer of cake. Follow with a layer of filling. Continue alternating layers of cake and filling until you have reached the top of the bowl. Finish with a layer of cake. Seal with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Remove plastic wrap. Place a pretty cake plate on top of the bowl. Invert the cake and remove the bowl.

Frost with remaining pint of whipped cream. Decorate with chocolate curls from second chocolate and well-drained maraschino cherries.