Fudge

 I tried a new fudge recipe.  It was really good.

Fannie Farmer Fudge

2 cups sugar

2 T. butter

2/3 cup evaporated milk

10 large marshmallows

1/2 bag of chocolate chips

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cups chopped nuts, optional

Boil the sugar, butter, milk, and marshmallows for 6 minutes, while stirring.  Remove from heat and add the chocolate chips, vanilla, and nuts.  Stir and stir until the chips are melted.  Pour into a buttered 8 inch pan.  Cool and cut. into squares.  Each square can be wrapped in plastic wrap.

Christmas Crack

 Oh my goodness, this stuff is delicious!  Michelle set out a bowl of it during a ballgame and it was inhaled in minutes.  My husband could not stop eating it and said after, "I absolutely forbid you to get this recipe!  I can't control myself!"  But, here it is.  Michelle's delicious Christmas Crack.

Christmas Crack

12.8 ounce box of Rice Chex Cereal

12 ounces box of Golden Grahams cereal

7 ounces shredded coconut

4 ounces slivered almonds

1 1/2 cup butter (three sticks)

2 cups sugar

2 cups light corn syrup

Combine the cereals, coconut and almonds in a large bowl.

In a large saucepan:

Combine the butter, sugar, and corn syrup to soft ball stage.  Pour over the cereal mixture and stir until all is well coated.  Pour mixture onto two large cookie sheets to cool.  Stir occasionally to prevent clumping.  Store (ha!) in an airtight container.  

Optional:  You can add marshmallows or chocolate chunks if desired.  

Pecan Rolo Pretzel Bites

 A neighbor brought us some of these at Christmas time.  Ken was enamored with them and tried to figure out what was in them.   I suggested we google it.  We did and bought the ingredients.  He immediately made two batches of them.  Easy and yummy!

Pecan Rolo Pretzel Bites

50 pretzel twists

50 rolo candies

50 pecans

Place the pretzels on a parchment covered cookie sheet.  Top each with a rolo candy.  Place in a 250 oven just long enough to let the Rollo candy melt and fasten to the pretzels.  Remove from oven and put a pecan each one while still warm.  Let cool completely and store in an airtight container.

White Chocolate Haystacks

These white chocolate treats can add to any holiday by varying the color of the sprinkles.  

White Chocolate Haystacks
2 (12 oz) packages white chocolate chips
1 (5 oz) can crispy chow mein noodles
1/2 cup salted peanuts
Sprinkles (red and green for Christmas, pastels for Easter, Red and blue for 4th of July, etc)

Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper or a silicone mat.
In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the white chocolate in 30-second intervals.  Stir between until smooth and melted.
Add the noodles and peanuts, stirring well.
Drop by spoonfuls onto the prepared sheet.  Top with sprinkles.  Let cool until hardened and set.

Fantasy Fudge

This recipe has been around for years, and I've been making it for years.  It is pretty much no-fail and is creamy and delicious.  I only make it at Christmas time and I don't make it every year.  But I did this year to serve at a party, so I thought I would share the recipe:
Fantasy Fudge
1 1/2 cups butter
6 cups sugar
2 cans evaporated milk (you can substitute 1 of the cans of milk with 1 1/2 cups of cream.  It makes the fudge more, well, creamy)
4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 large (13 oz.) jar of marshmallow crème
1 Tablespoon vanilla
2 cups chopped nuts, optional

Lightly butter a 13 x 9 pan.  Mix sugar, butter, and milk in a large, heavy pan.  Bring to a full, rolling boil on medium high heat, stirring constantly.  Continue boiling until to softball stage.  Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips, marshmallow crème and vanilla.  Pour into prepared pan and cool.  Cut into squares when completely cool. You can wrap the squares in plastic wrap or serve them in candy paper liners.

No Bake Cookies Candy

No-Bake Cookies

We do a lot of visiting to homes as we serve here in Japan.  I like to take a little treat when we go.  I love making these into little balls so they look more like little pieces of chocolate candy and keep them in a plastic container in the fridge.  Then we’re headed out on visits, I can put several in a pretty little bag and it makes a nice, little gift.

No-Bake Cookies

Lay out parchment paper or waxed paper on a countertop or table.

In a mixing bowl, put:

3 cups oatmeal

¼ cup cocoa

½ cup peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

Set aside.

Combine in a saucepan:

2 cups sugar

1/3 cup butter

½ cup milk

Heat until boiling.  Boil for 1 minute.  If it’s a humid day, boil a bit longer.

Pour the boiling liquid over the oatmeal mixture, melting the peanut butter.  Stir well. 

As soon as it’s cool enough, roll little balls in your hands and put them on the parchment to set up. 

Sugar Pops

Starting to think about what you'd like to give your neighbors at Christmas?  These sugar pops are delicious.  You just need to fill Christmassy plastic bags and tie them with ribbon.  Attach a note, "Just popping in to wish you a merry Christmas!"
Sugar Pops
2 small or 1 large bag puffed corn
2 cups butter (1 lb.)
2 cups sugar
4 Tablespoons water

Put the corn pops in a large roasting pan and put in the oven at 300 while you make the syrup.

In a large saucepan, combine the butter, sugar, and water.  Bring to a soft boil and boil for about 7 minutes.  Take off heat and add 1 teaspoon vanilla.  Take the pops out of the oven and pour the syrup over them.  It really helps if you have another person at this point- one to slowly pour the syrup and the other to stir and stir and stir and stir.  When the puffs are evenly coated,  put them on waxed paper to cool.  Let them sit out for several hours before storing in an airtight container or bagging for gifts.  I think I will always call them "yellow things"from now on as our two-year-old grandson was with us last Christmas and kept asking for a "yellow thing."

Kristen's Marshmallow Caramel Corn

This recipe comes from Kristen, but since I made it recently and have the pictures, I'll post it.  It is the perfect treat for family movie night or game day and is quick and easy to make. . . .and oh, so, yummy!
2 bags microwave popcorn, popped with unpopped kernels removed
1 cup real butter
1 cup brown sugar
30 large marshmallows
 Place popcorn(Kristen taught me to put the popcorn from the microwave bags by handfuls instead of just dumping it in- so you don't get those teeth-breaking unpopped kernals in your bowl) in a large bowl. Melt butter and brown sugar in a medium saucepan on the stove.  Stir constantly while it melts.  Let boil 1 minute (not longer). Remove from heat and add marshmallows and stir and stir  until marshmallows are melted and all is well blended. Pour over popcorn and stir until popcorn is coated evenly.

Cream Caramels

What would Christmas be without homemade caramels. I learned how to make caramels when I was a teenager from an expert candy maker/ my teacher at church. I was pretty sure they were the best thing I'd ever tasted. I made those caramels many times, but then somehow/somewhere lost the recipe. So I began my search. I had made these little treasures enough to remember basically how they were made and with what ingredients- I just couldn't remember the amounts. I did some experimenting and think I've come up with that original recipe- or maybe even better! The trick- there's always a trick- is to make them so they will be soft, but not so soft they stick to your waxed paper wrappers. It's almost impossible to teach that in a blog, but just keep trying. It is so worth the effort!

2 cups sugar

1 1/4 cups light corn syrup

1/2 cup SALTED butter

2 cups cream

In a heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup, butter and 1 cup cream. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, to soft ball stage. To test, put some cold water in a bowl. Spoon some of the candy mixture into the bowl. Let it cool, then try to form a ball in the water. When the candy forms a ball that holds together under the water, that is soft ball stage. If you lift it out of the water, it just kind of melts and spreads in your hand, but under the water it forms a ball. At that point, keep stirring while you very, very slowly pour in the other cup of cream. Just stream it in so that the mixture keeps boiling all the while. Then cook until the candy is hard ball stage. Again, get a bowl of cold water and use your spoon to put some candy in. When it forms a ball in the water and that ball holds together out of the water, it is hard ball stage. The candy changes very quickly at this point, so work fast. Pour immediately into a buttered 9-inch pan. If you want you can have chopped pecans waiting in that pan. That is optional. I prefer it without nuts. Let cool without disturbing for several hours. Then, cut and wrap in saran wrap or waxed paper. I use clean kitchen sheers to cut the caramels. It is so much easier than a knife. If your caramels are too soft- no problem. Just put the candy back in the pan and add another cup of cream and try again.

I know most candy makers use a candy thermometer. I've never had good luck with them. The old-fashioned cold water test works best for me. Merry Christmas!

Scotcharoos

Every Easter/ Spring Break, we have to have Scotcharoos. I got this recipe years ago from my sister-in-law, Ada and we've been making it every Easter since.
2cups sugar
2 cups light corn syrup
2 cups peanut butter
1 13oz box rice krispies
1 pkg. chocolate chips (semi sweet)
1 pkg. butterscotch chips
Butter two large sided cookie sheets ( you know the kind all Mormons have) (or you can use two 9 x 13. The scotcharoos will be thicker.)
Combine sugar and syrup in a large pan (needs to be at least 3 qt) Cook until mixture begins to bubble, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; Stir in peanut butter. Mix well. Add cereal and stir until your arm falls off. Press into the prepared pans. Melt the chips in the microwave (don't burn it) Stir and spread over the cereal bars. Cool in fridge until topping is set. Cut and eat with family and friends on your Easter picnic!

Rocky Road Fudge

This is the easiest fudge recipe ever! Well, really what do I know? It is the only one I have ever made. But it is SIMPLE which is why I felt comfortable making it. It is DEFINITELY worth a try.

1 pkg. milk chocolate chips

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 t. vanilla

2 cups miniature marshmallows

1 pkg peanut butter chips (peanut butter chips swirled with chocolate is also really good...I couldn't find those this time)

Line a 9x9 glass dish with waxed paper. In medium glass bowl, mix both types of chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla. Microwave for 30 seconds. Stir. Microwave for 30 seconds. Stir. Microwave in increments of 15-20 seconds, stirring in between, until chocolate chips are all melted. Add marshmallows and peanut butter chips. Stir in really well. Pour into 9x9 dish. Let it set up for a couple of hours.

(I used a 13x9 dish and spread it about 3/4 full so that the fudge wasn't as thick.)