My church is having a "Bake Sale", what three kinds of desserts would you bring? Please include the recipes.

I would agree with one previous answer - individual serving items are BEST. For pies, there are adorable mini pie shells at every grocery store I've been to lately (I shop Wal-Mart, so they can be cheap), and cup-cakes always go over well. I'll include a couple of recipes, but I still think the best advice is to go single serving and decorate as much as you can (we eat first with out eyes - and if you want someone to buy it to eat, make it look GOOD).

1. Easy Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup peanut butter (creamy or crunchy)

1 cup brown sugar

1 egg

12 - 24 chocolate kisses (dark chocolate works well, too)

Mix peanut butter and sugar first - then add egg. Make into balls about 1 inch around and place on greased cookie sheet or silicone sheet. Gently smoosh 1 Kiss into each ball and bake for 8 - 10 minutes @ 350, until cookies are set up but not too brown on bottom. Makes 1 - 2 dozen (depending on your "inch" balls).

2. Pie - seriously, the mini pie shells with chocolate, banana cream, or even vanilla pudding. Then either sprinkle with goodies (chopped nuts, chocolate shavings, coconut, Nilla wafers, toffee chips, etc) OR bring a can of whipped cream to the sale and top pies at request. You'll look like a super star, and smaller (therefore cheaper) pies will sell easier.

3. Cakes - cupcakes are a must! You can decorate them SO easily, but so cute. Especially with all the mini candies and stuff available in the stores now. I would recommend checking out Target, if possible, for all kinds of decorations and even cute baking molds. Some GREAT cupcake recipes:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,...

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,...

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,...

Couple of other sources/ideas. Alton Brown's show "Good Eats" has lots of ideas about cookies and bake sales. You might check into making hand pies (like little fried pies). They are super easy and versatile, look very fancy, and can be baked ahead of time.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/show_ea/episode/0,...

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/show_ea/episode/0,...

There is another show I've included a link to because the host was making items for a bake sale and they were all tasty.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/show_mo/episode/0,...

You shouldn't make pies or cakes unless the person is going to buy the whole thing and then bring it home. It's hard to eat slices of things without sitting down. You should make rice crispy treats. They're the best and everyone loves them. The recipe is on the side of every rice crispy cereal box.

I vote for #1 except buy the dry cookie mix by Betty Crocker,you can buy a can of frosting and frost the cookies, that's if you buy the sugar cookie mix. It is a really good mix and it taste better than that slice&bake stuff.

Lemon bars

Pistachio pie

Coffee cake

Those are the easiest three I can think to make on limited time. Make the pie first and put in fridge, then start the lemon bar crust while you whip up the coffee cake. They all should be done around the same time.

brownies and/or no bake cookies

apple and/or blueberry pie

coffee cake and/or cheesecake

These are the things I look for at a bake sale.....

Chocolate chip for cookies

apple for pie

German chocolate cake

id bring cookies (the kind u can buy at the store in packages, and it tells u how to make them on the back-bettie crocker is good)

or cupcakes (same)

I have found at bake sales the best selling cookies are the chocolate oatmeal no bake cookies...They are simple, cheap to make, delicious and you can usually bag two or three small cookies for at least 75 cents to a dollar....Peanut butter cookies are the next best seller.....(I work at a hospital and the cafeteria makes the no bake cookies occasionally and almost everyone goes after them....)

Pies are tricky since alot need to stay cool....

Cakes, if you are selling them whole, are good sellers.....red velvet (especially the ones made from scratch) are really good sellers.....Italian Creme Cakes, Carrot Carrots or fresh apple cakes are good sellers.....Pretty much anything with creme cheese frosting goes good...Even red velvet cupcakes are good...

Here is a super good recipe that you cut into bars....

Creme Cheese Crescents Bars

2 cans crescent rolls

2 8 oz creme cheese---room temp

3/4 c sugar (granulated)

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 cup confectioners sugar

Spray a 9 x 13 dish with pam

Unroll 1 can rolls and place in bottom of dish....squeeze or push together the edges so there are no holes in them, covering the bottom of the dish

In a mixing bowl creme together the creme cheese, vanilla, and granulated sugar....spread the mixture on the rolls....(leave about 1/4 cup of the mixture in bowl....just kinda eyeball it...doesn't have to be exact) Sit bowl to side....

Unroll 2nd can of rolls and place on top of creme cheese...doesn't matter it there are holes....

Bake at 325 for 30-40 minutes, until a pretty golden brown....

While they are baking....pour conf sugar into creme cheese mixture....stir until mixed...you may have to add milk, 1 tbls at a time...it will need to be stiff...

when bars come out.....spoon mixture over hot bars....spread until covered....the heat will melt them, causing them to spread easily....

when ready to serve, or pkg and sell.....just cut cooled bars into squares...

These sounds like alot of steps, but once you have made them...it takes about 10 minutes to do it....really easy.....You can make these a couple of days ahead of time, refrigerate until ready to sell.....If they are going to be eaten within a day or two...no need to refrigerate...but they don't last that long at my house....Hope you bake sale does well!!!

Another good seller is peanut butter crunch bars.

1 cup light karo syrup

1 cup gran sugar

bring these to a boil....remove from heat....quickly fold in 1 cup peanut butter....Stir in 3 cups corn flakes....

Pour onto butter dish or wax paper....with another piece of wax paper or butter on your hands....gently press them down...until compact enough to cut into squares..cut or score them while warm...you don't have to pull them apart then....just alot easier to cut while warm and fresh....these are so good!!!!

Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

2 c gran sugar

4 Tbls cocoa

1 stick margarine

1/2 c milk

1 tsp vanilla

1/3 c peanut butter

2 1/2 cup quick cooking oatmeal (uncooked)

Bring a boil the sugar, cocoa, margarine, milk and vanilla...Boil for 2 minutes.

Remove from heat....stir in peanut butter, the oatmeal. Drop by spoonfuls onto wax paper or cookie sheet..let cool

(We have found that Jif PB works the best, we tried walmart brand and the cookies would set....don't really know what the difference was, but it is different.)

One more good one!!!

Butterscotch Brownies

1 box light brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 sticks melted margarine

2 cups self rising flour

3 eggs

Beat eggs, add sugar, vanilla and melted margarine (not hot, just melted and cooled off a bit). Stir in flour (not with mixer). Bake in 9 x 13 lightly greased and floured dish. Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees

Most of these are inexpensive, you have alot of the ingredients on hand...and some of the most delicious bake sale items you can make...and most all---money makers. Good luck

I have a better question, why are you going to a church bake sale?

preacher cookies for sure

pecan pie

strawberry cheese cake