One of my favorite things to do for a fresh "dessert" is to use fresh fruit and fix the Mandarin Orange fruit dip with sour cream. It's nice and cool, refreshing. If I am making it for a shower or something that needs to be richer, I'll mix it with half cream cheese and half marshmallow cream. I also make my own plain yogurt and it makes a great flavoring for it. Raspberry-Cherry Brownies     Ingredients 1/2 cup/125 mL (1 stick) butter 1 cup/250 mL sugar 2 eggs 1 tsp/5 mL Original Double-Strength Vanilla (11 oz) 1/3 cup/80 mL Baking Cocoa 1/2 cup/125 mL all-purpose flour 1/4 tsp/1.2 mL salt 1/4 tsp/1.2 mL Baking Powder 2/3 cup/160 mL raspberry-cherry preserves (or 1/3 c. each of raspberry & cherry preserves) 1/3 cup/80 mL white chocolate chips   Cooking Directions Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Spray (with Watkins Cooking Spray) and flour an 8-inch/20-cm square pan or flan pan. In a saucepan, melt the stick of butter. Remove from heat and stir in sugar, eggs and vanilla. Beat in the cocoa, flour, salt and baking powder. Spread batter into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Do not overbake. Heat preserves in microwave safe bowl or saucepan and spread over brownies. Drizzle with melted white chocolate. Coconut Cream Cheese Brownies Ingredients 3 eggs 1 cup/250 mL melted butter 1-1/2 tsp/7.5 mL Original Double-Strength Vanilla (11 oz) 2 cups/500 mL sugar 1-1/4 cups/300 mL all-purpose flour 1/2 cup/125 mL Baking Cocoa 1/2 tsp/2.5 mL Baking Powder 1/4 tsp/1.2 mL salt 1 cup/250 mL chocolate chips Filling: 2 packages (8 oz/227 g each) cream cheese 2 tsp/10 mL Coconut Extract 1/4 cup/60 mL sugar 1 egg 2 tbsp/30 mL milk 3/4 cup/180 mL Coconut Dessert Mix   Cooking Directions In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, butter and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients; add to egg mixture and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips. Set aside half for topping. Coat a 9 x 13”/23 x 33 cm pan with Watkins Cooking Spray. Spread remaining batter into prepared pan. In a small bowl, beat cream cheese, coconut extract and sugar until smooth. Add egg, milk and dessert mix, beating just until combined. Carefully spread filling over batter. Drop reserved batter by tablespoonfuls atop filling. Cut through batter with a knife to swirl if desired. Bake at 350°F/180°C for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate until serving. Makes 3 dozen. Piña Colada Frozen Dessert Squares   Ingredients Crust: 1 cup/250 mL all-purpose flour 1/4 cup/60 mL firmly packed brown sugar 1/2 cup/125 mL butter or margarine 3/4 cup/180 mL flaked coconut 1/2 cup/125 mL sliced almonds Filling: 1/2 cup/125 mL Coconut Dessert Mix 1/2 cup/125 mL water 1 cup/240 mL milk 1 package (8 oz/227 g) cream cheese, softened 1 cup/240 mL whipping cream 2/3 cup/160 mL milk 1 can (8 oz/227 g) crushed pineapple in unsweetened juice, undrained 1 tsp/5 mL Rum Extract Topping: 1 tbsp/15 mL butter or margarine 1/2 cup/125 mL flaked coconut 1/2 cup/125 mL sliced almonds Cooking Directions Crust: Heat oven to 350°F/180°C. In medium bowl, combine flour and brown sugar; mix well. With pastry blender or fork, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in coconut and almonds. Sprinkle evenly in ungreased 13 x 9-inch/33 x 23-cm pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown, stirring twice. When browned, remove from oven and press crumbs evenly in bottom of pan. Cool 20 minutes or until completely cooled. Filling: In small saucepan, combine dessert mix, water and milk. Follow package directions for pudding (milk has been reduced to 1 cup). Cool. In large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Gradually beat in whipping cream and milk. Add cooled pudding mixture, pineapple and rum extract. Pour over cooled crust; spread evenly. Cover and freeze for at least 6 hours. Topping: In saucepan, combine butter, coconut and almonds. Stir over medium to high heat until coconut and almonds are nicely browned. Cool and reserve for topping. Half an hour before serving, remove dessert from freezer to allow for easier slicing. Top with the coconut and almond mixture. Makes 15 servings. *Chocolate Fondue (Good Tastings recipe) 10 to 12 oz/284 g – 340 g Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips 1/4 cup/60 mL whipping cream 1 tsp/5 mL Watkins Original Double-Strength Vanilla 1 tsp/5 mL Watkins Orange Extract Place chocolate chips and whipping cream in fondue pot. Turn temperature to warm, stirring constantly until chips are melted. Add vanilla and orange extracts and stir. Serve with fruit, pound cake, or other snacks. Try This: Replace orange extract with other Watkins extracts as desired. Three-Flavor Fudge   Ingredients 1 box (1 pound) powdered sugar 2 eggs 1 cup (2 sticks) butter 1 package (12 oz) chocolate chips 1 tsp Almond Extract — Trial Mark Bottle Watkins Almond Extract 1 tsp Coconut Extract — Trial Mark Bottle Watkins Coconut Extract 1 tsp Original Double-Strength Vanilla (11 oz) Watkins Vanilla 1/2 cup chopped nutmeats (optional)   Cooking Directions In mixer bowl, combine sugar and eggs; mix until satiny. In small saucepan, melt butter and chocolate chips; mix well. Add chocolate mixture to sugar and eggs; blend. Mix in extracts. Stir in nuts, if desired. Pour into an 8 x 8-inch buttered pan. Chill in refrigerator before serving. Makes 36 pieces. Five-Flavor Cake Ingredients Five-flavor Cake 1 cup/250 mL (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened 1/2 cup/125 mL vegetable shortening 3 cups/750 mL sugar 5 eggs, beaten until lemon-colored 3 cups/750 mL all-purpose flour 1/2 tsp/2.5 mL Baking Powder 1 cup/250 mL milk 1 tsp/5 mL Coconut Extract 1 tsp/5 mL Rum Extract 1 tsp/5 mL Butter Extract 1 tsp/5 mL Lemon Extract 1 tsp/5 mL Original Double-Strength Vanilla (11 oz) Six-Flavor Glaze (recipe follows) Six-Flavor Glaze 1/2 cup/125 mL sugar 1/4 cup/60 mL water 1/2 tsp/2.5 mL Coconut Extract 1/2 tsp/2.5 mL Rum Extract 1/2 tsp/2.5 mL Butter Extract 1/2 tsp/2.5 mL Lemon Extract 1/2 tsp/2.5 mL Original Double-Strength Vanilla (11 oz) 1/2 tsp/2.5 mL Almond Extract Cooking Directions Five-flavor Cake Cream together the butter, shortening, and sugar in large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat until smooth. In small bowl, combine flour and baking powder; mix well and set aside. Combine milk and extracts. Add flour mixture to creamed mixture alternately with milk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Spoon mixture into a greased 10-inch/25-cm tube (angel food cake) pan. Bake at 325°F/165ºC for 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 hours or until cake tests done. Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Turn cake out of pan onto wire rack, invert again. Place waxed paper under rack to catch glaze drippings. Slowly spoon glaze onto top of hot cake and let glaze drizzle down sides of cake. Let cool completely. Six-Flavor Glaze Combine all ingredients in heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Makes 12 servings.   Nutrition Facts Makes 12 servings. Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories 600 Protein 7 g Carbohydrates 83 g Sodium 180 mg Fat 27 g Saturated Fat 13 g Cholesterol 130 mg Dietary Fiber 1 g Mandarin Orange Pie (or Tart) Ingredients Crust: 1 cup/250 mL graham cracker crumbs 1 tbsp/15 mL Orange Peel 1 tbsp/15 mL granulated sugar 3 tbsp/45 mL melted butter Cream Cheese Layer: 3 oz/85 g softened cream cheese 1 tsp/5 mL Original Double-Strength Vanilla (11 oz) 1 tbsp/15 mL Mandarin Orange Fruit Dip Mix 1 tbsp/15 mL soft butter 1 tbsp/15 mL milk Top Layer: 1 (10 oz/285 g) bag of marshmallows 3/4 cup/180 mL milk 3 tbsp/45 mL Mandarin Orange Fruit Dip Mix 1 cup/240 mL whipping cream 1 can mandarin oranges (drained)   Cooking Directions Add orange peel, sugar and butter to the graham cracker crumbs. Mix well. Press in bottom of a 9-inch/23-cm pie pan. Beat cream cheese, vanilla, dip mix, butter and milk together until smooth. Spread over bottom of pie crust. Melt marshmallows and milk in a large saucepan over medium heat. Let cool. When cool, stir in the dip mix. Whip cream until soft peaks form. Fold into cooled marshmallow mixture. Pour half of mixture over cream cheese layer. Place mandarin oranges over marshmallow mixture. Pour the rest of the marshmallow mixture over the oranges. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serves: 8