Salted Caramel Pecan Turtles Fudge

Do you like fudge?  Do you like the classic turtles candy, you know, chocolate, caramel and pecans?  I decided to combine them together and came up with this super easy, tasty fudge!  Decided to add a little salt on the top and think it’s a great addition if you like salted caramel. 

Do you have all your Christmas baking done?  I don’t.  But I never really do.  I always have things I run out of time to make or that I want to try for the first time.  I’ve made plenty of my “signature” Chocolate Chip Cookies, also made the same recipe and threw in a bunch of chopped up Andes Chocolate Mints.  Everyone has loved these, I probably haven’t made enough of them. 

Anyway, I whipped up the easy fudge that is just made with melted chocolate chips and a can of sweetened condensed milk, then decided to add the caramel and pecans.  A friend of mine gives us a nice square of real, homemade, cooked-like-grandma-used-to-make fudge every Christmas.  Even since I’ve been off gluten and refined sugar, I usually take a little taste.  It is divine!  My fudge is delicious, but much easier, and so I suppose I’m lazy.  Really I think it’s just because I’d rather bake cookies than spend time cooking fudge over the stove.

  Salted Caramel Pecan Turtles Fudge, by Katrina, Baking and Boys!

12 ounce package semi sweet chocolate chips

14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

6 ounces caramel, chopped (or unwrapped caramel squares)

2 tablepoons heavy cream

3/4 cup pecans, lightly toasted, rough chopped

Flaked sea salt, optional*

Line an 8x8 inch square baking pan with non stick foil, leaving the edges overhanging a bit, spray it lightly with cooking spray.  Set aside.  In a glass microwave safe bowl, combine the caramel and cream.  Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between each.  It should only take 1-2 minutes.  Let the caramel cool to room temperature.  In a medium sized saucepan over medium low heat, combine the chocolate chips and condensed milk.  Stir until melted and smooth.  Add the vanilla and salt and stir until combined.  Add the pecans and stir well.  Take a few spoonfuls of the caramel and carefully stir it into the fudge, without combining it completely.  The fudge thickens quickly, so spread it evenly in the pan.  Pour or spoon the remaining caramel over the top, then swirl it in and around the caramel with a knife.  *Lightly sprinkle salt over the top.  Feel free to leave off the salt if you’d like.  I was out of course, flaked salt and just used a little sprinkle of sea salt.  Refrigerate the fudge for at least an hour.  Remove from the pan using the foil edges and peel the foil off the back.  Cut the fudge on a cutting board into squares. 

I think it has just the right amount of caramel and salt and again, tasted a little for quality control.  Christmas is almost here!  Are you ready?

 

  

Almond Joy Fudge Bars, Two Ways—Gluten Free or Grain Free, Refined Sugar Free

Almond Joy Fudge Bars with gluten free oats

I’ve been meaning to get these posted because they are SO good.  I’ve made them twice in one week.  The first time I made them with gluten free oats.  As I ate them and loved them, I decided they don’t really even need the oats in them, so they can also easily be made without any oats/grain.

These are really easy to make, the hardest part is waiting while they chill in the fridge for an hour.

Almond Joy Fudge Bars with gluten free oats, by Katrina, Baking and Boys!

1/2 cup (128 grams) almond butter (I use homemade)

1/3 cup (120 grams) raw honey

1/4 cup (56 grams) organic coconut oil

3/4 cup (4 1/2 ounces) refined sugar free chocolate chips (Equal Exchange or Enjoy Life, etc)

1 cup minus 3 tablespoons gluten free oats

3 tablespoons unsweetened coconut flakes (toasted, optional)

1/3 cup almonds, toasted and chopped

Line an 8 inch square baking pan with nonstick foil (or coat with coconut oil).

In a saucepan, heat together over medium heat until all combined the almond butter, honey and coconut oil.  Turn heat off and add the chocolate chips.  Stir until melted.  Stir in the oats, coconut and almonds.  Pour and spread evenly into pan.  Chill in refrigerator for an hour.  Remove bars from pan using foil edges and cut into squares.  Store in refrigerator.

adapted from Mommy's Kitchen

While eating and loving these, I couldn’t help but think they would be really good without the oats (grain) and how kicked up they would be with more coconut and almonds, so I made them again replacing some of the oats with more coconut and almonds.  Delicious!  Can’t decide which I like better.  You decide.  When I made them without the oats, I toasted the coconut.  I’ll probably toast it every time now.

Almond Joy Fudge Bars, grain free, refined sugar free

Almond Joy Fudge Bars, grain free and refined sugar free, by Katrina, Baking and Boys!

1/2 cup (128 grams) almond butter (I used homemade)

1/3 cup (120 grams) raw honey

1/4 cup (56 grams) coconut oil

3/4 cup (4 1/2 ounces) refined sugar free chocolate chips (Equal Exchange or Enjoy Life, etc)

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes, toasted lightly (350 degree oven for 5-8 minutes)

1/2 cup almonds, toasted and chopped (350 degree oven for 10 minutes)

Line an 8 inch square baking pan with nonstick foil (or coat with coconut oil).

In a saucepan, heat together over medium heat until all combined the almond butter, honey and coconut oil.  Turn heat off and add the chocolate chips.  Stir until melted.  Stir in the coconut and almonds.  Pour and spread evenly into pan.  Chill in refrigerator for an hour.  Remove bars from pan using foil edges and cut into squares.  Store in refrigerator.

adapted from Mommy's Kitchen

You’ve got to try these!

Peppermint Angel Food Cake Roll—12 Weeks of Christmas Treats

Peppermint Angel Food Cake Roll

This is it, Friends—Week 12 of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats.  I chose to share with you this great cake I’ve made twice this week for different Christmas activities.  It was a hit both times.  Wish I could take credit for this, but I can’t at all and didn’t even really change the recipe for the one in the December issues of Taste of Home magazine.  You need to go get the recipe that was submitted by Suellen Calhoun. 

It was certainly easy to make.  The cake is made with a boxed angel food cake mix and spread into a large baking pan that is lined with parchment paper.  After the cake is baked and just barely cooled, you remove it from the pan, remove the parchment paper and roll up the cake to cool completely.  Once the cake has cooled, it is unrolled and spread with whipped topping, then drizzled with hot fudge sauce and sprinkled with crushed peppermint candy.

Ready to roll!

At this point, I put the cake in the refrigerator and didn’t cover it with more whipped topping until just before serving it (you could use real whipped cream, too—I followed the recipe and went for easy).  The whipped topping also has peppermint extract added to it. 

This is a perfectly minty, holiday treat!

The pictures of the sliced cake doesn’t  look that great (to me), because I snapped a few pictures of some that were leftover the next day after the first party.  There were so many desserts to choose from that the whole thing wasn’t eaten that night.  The peppermint would look better photographed when it is first served. ;)  When I made the cake just yesterday for another occasion, it was all gone from the dessert table before I even got my dinner.  It was a much bigger group.

Please go find this cake at Taste of Home.  I love the magazine and the website is great.  The Lime Shortbread with Dried Cherries I posted last week are from the same issue of the magazine.  If you aren’t subscribed to Taste of Home, you should be—or at least join their free membership online.

This is it—I said that already, huh?  I have a number of other recipes (ones I actually came up with myself) that I want to get posted before the holidays.  That’s my goal.  Time really is crazy this time of year.  We’ll see what I can do.  In the meantime, Happy Baking and Happy Holidays to everyone!

Thanks for allowing me to be a part of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats go to our host, Brenda at Meal Planning Magic.  So many wonderful treats from everyone!

Fudge Topped Brownies

Fudge Topped Brownies

After I recently posted a picture of these on Facebook (Baking and Boys), I was nearly accosted by some family, friends and cyber friends to hurry up and get the recipe posted.  So here you go---  ;)  (They are THAT good that they need to get posted ASAP.)

I got the idea for these and the fudge part of the recipe from my friend, Anna, at Cookie Madness.  She made them using a boxed brownie mix she had that needed to be used.  Boxed brownies are perfectly acceptable, though I’m on a quest to rid my life of boxed products, I can’t convince my family of that so far—even with brownies like these 100% homemade.  Sometimes Kevin will “whine” “Can’t you just make plain boxed brownies?”  Yes, there are some in the boxed-brownie camp who think homemade don’t taste as good.  While that is certainly not me, I think it’s the texture or the way the brownies turn out that people like so much.  (I hope it’s not the flavor as much, because I think the flavor is rather, well, boxy. ;) 

Moving on—these brownies, just the brownie part, are a new recipe (new, as in, I hadn’t made the recipe before) from Cook’s Illustrated for Chewy Brownies.  The folks in the Cook’s Illustrated kitchen set out to make a brownie like the boxed ones that are so well liked by many and this is the recipe they came up with for Chewy Brownies.  I have adapted it (of course), but you can find it online in many places.  I’m just going to give you the recipe as I made them.

I will for sure make these again as just brownies without the fudge top just to see what they are like on their own.  But they certainly worked well for these Fudge Topped Brownies.   Like I mentioned, the fudge top idea and recipe came from Anna (I’ve linked her recipe post above).  Hey, speaking of Anna—her first cookbook is coming out in November!  I’m so excited and have preordered mine---you should, too.  Here’s a link for the book from Amazon, The Daily Cookie, 365 Tempting Treats For the Sweetest Year of Your Life.

Fudge Topped Brownies, by Katrina, Baking and Boys!, adapted from recipes by Anna at Cookie Madness and Cook’s Illustrated (Chewy Brownies)

Brownies--

1/3 cup Dutch processed cocoa powder

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (5 ounces) boiling water

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped finely

4 tablespoons (2 ounces) unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (5 ounces) canola oil (or vegetable/corn oil)

2 large eggs

2 large egg yolks

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2  1/2 cups (500 grams) granulated sugar

1  3/4 cups (210 grams) all purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon table salt

3/4 teaspoon baking soda (I used this for high altitude purposes, it may not be necessary)

6 ounces dark/bittersweet chocolate (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 9x13 baking pan with foil, leaving enough to overhang for removing the brownies.  Spray with cooking spray.  Set aside.

Whisk together the cocoa and boiling water in a large bowl and mix until smooth.  Add the unsweetened chocolate and whisk together until chocolate is melted.  Whisk in melted butter and oil.  (The mixture may look curdled, but will come together when the next things are added.)  Add the eggs, egg yolks, and vanilla and continue to whisk until smooth.  Whisk in sugar until fully incorporated.  Add flour and salt (and soda, if using) and combine using a rubber spatula.  Fold in until just combined.  Fold in chocolate, if using.

Scrape batter into the prepared pan and smooth evenly.  Bake until toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, 35-45 minutes.  (Mine took 41 minutes.)  As soon as they come out of the oven, prepare the fudge.

Fudge--

3 tablespoons (1  1/2 ounces) butter, room temperature

1 cup sweetened condensed milk (not quite the whole can, 1 cup is 328 grams)

2 cups dark/bittersweet chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli 60%)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

When the brownies come out of the oven, combine the butter, condensed milk and chocolate chips in a medium sized saucepan.  Melt together over low heat (do not overheat the mixture) and stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.  Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.  Pour the fudge over the hot brownies.

Let sit until room temperature, then chill the brownies in the refrigerator for an hour or two until set.  Remove brownies from pan using the foil edges to lift them out and peel off the foil.   Cut into desired size brownies, 24 or 32.  These are pretty rich, so smaller is good.  (I cut the edges of the brownies off all four sides and got 30—1  1/2 inch brownies.)

If you like fudge and you like brownies, you will love these Fudge Topped Brownies, there is almost an equal radio of fudge to brownie.  I will be trying just the brownie recipe without the baking soda (not sure it made much difference) in the near future and I think I’ll leave out the six ounces of chocolate that is stirred in at the end.  Pecans or walnuts would be great in the brownies or even on the top of the fudge layer before it sets.  I think those Cook’s Illustrated folks got this brownie just right, but it’s a lot more involved than my favorite brownie recipe, so I’m sure I won’t make it all the time as a go-to brownie, but it is great, fudgy, dense and dark chocolaty!

*These are being added to Lisa’s blog hop, Sweets For a Saturday at Sweet As Sugar Cookies.

Homemade Three Musketeers Ice Cream and Milk Chocolate Fudge with Walnuts made with Homemade Sweetened Condensed Milk

I made this ice cream recently as an experiment and it turned out delicious.  It was going to be called hot fudge ice cream, because hot fudge is what I used to flavor it, but it has an almost light airy texture and tastes just like the nougat of a Three Musketeers candy bar!

I have recently discovered that you can make homemade sweetened condensed milk at home using dry powdered milk—and so far, I cannot tell the difference.  I have a nice storage of powdered milk (don’t mistake it for instant dry milk, which isn’t the same)!  We were looking through our food storage recently and realized we have a bunch of dry powdered milk that is coming upon it’s “use by” date.  I also have a great book, I Can't Believe It's Food Storage, by Crystal Godfrey—who I consider the queen of food storage.  She has all the best ideas of things to do with your food storage.   Some may not know, but us Mormons try to have many things in our food storage that would be useful if there comes a time of emergency or say loss of job/income.  We try to be prepared as you never know what kinds of things can happen.  Having seen floods and earthquakes this past summer as well as other times, I’m even more convinced of the importance of having a good supply of things we might need.  Anyway, that’s where having “extra” comes in.  And long story not so short, that’s why we have a bunch of dry powdered milk. 

The key is to rotate it properly.  I wasn’t quite up to par with using it, because I kind of grew up having to drink powdered milk and I just don’t care for it.  I still don’t think I could just drink it (maybe in an emergency), but I’ve discovered it is so useful and even good in many other things—like this ice cream!  Keep on reading, I made fudge, too—and you’d never know it wasn’t store bought sweetened condensed milk from a can!

In Crystal’s book (check out her website sometime at Everyday Food Storage), she gives a recipe for homemade sweetened condensed milk.  It could not be more simple.

*Homemade Sweetened Condensed Milk, adapted by Katrina, Baking and Boys! from Crystal at Everyday Food Storage

1/2 cup hot water

1 cup non-instant dry powdered milk

1 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon butter

Combine ingredients in a blender and mix thoroughly.  Scrape sides of blender bowl and continue to blend until well combined.  Use immediately or store in the refrigerator

I first made the condensed milk and used it for fudge which turned out fantastic.  You would never know it wasn’t canned sweetened condensed milk!  I’ll share that with you in a minute.

The ice cream was my second attempt at seeing how the homemade condensed milk would work.  I was kind of just making something up as I went along and after looking through the fridge, I found half a jar of hot fudge sauce and decided I’d flavor a chocolate ice cream with it.  It was simple and turned out great!

Homemade Three Musketeers Candy Bar Ice Cream, by Katrina, Baking and Boys!

*(see recipe above) 1 recipe homemade sweetened condensed milk

1/2 a jar of hot fudge sauce (about 2/3 cup)

2 cups heavy cream

dash of salt

2 ounces dark chocolate, melted (optional)

In a blender, combine the hot fudge and 1 cup of cream and mix until well incorporated.  Scraped sides of blender.  Add the condensed milk, remaining cream, and salt and blend to combine well.  Pour the mixture into the bowl of an ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer’s instructions, about 20 minutes.

A few minutes before it is finished churning, drizzle in the melted chocolate.  Store in the freezer in an airtight container.

 

This ice cream really was light and fluffy with just a hint of chocolate flavor, just like the center of a Three Musketeers candy bar and the bits of chocolate were a perfect addition.  Try it!  Better yet, try that homemade sweetened condensed milk.  Crystal also has a recipe for making your own evaporated milk that I plan to try soon.

Here’s the fudge made with the homemade condensed milk.  This is just the same simple recipe you can find at Eagle Brand with sweetened condensed milk and melted chocolate chips.  Crystal has a recipe in her book.  I’ve pretty much made that same recipe, but adapted it just slightly.  I have found with fudge that I like to put extra vanilla in it.  I tried it once and found it to be just a little more creamy and I really like the kick of flavor.  I think it would be fun to try other flavor extracts, too.  I love almond extract and raspberry was well.  Wish I could “afford” (my gut and hips) to just make lots of different kinds.  Sigh.  I was able to take most of this fudge to a ladies church activity after I made it and it was well liked there.

Easy Fudge With Walnuts made with Homemade Sweetened Condensed Milk, by Katrina, Baking and Boys!

3 cups (18 ounces) chocolate chips (I used milk chocolate)

*(see recipe above) 1 recipe of homemade sweetened condensed milk

dash of salt

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Line an 8x8 square baking pan with non-stick foil with the edges hanging over to easily removed the fudge from the pan.  Spray lightly with cooking spray.

Melt the condensed milk and chocolate chips in a medium sized saucepan over medium to low heat.  Sprinkle in the salt and stir with a spatula until smooth.  Remove from heat and add vanilla.  Pour into prepared pan and spread evenly.  Let set in refrigerator for a couple hours.  Remove from pan, peel off foil and cut into one inch squares on a cutting board.

Don’t like walnuts—switch it up to whatever you’d like.  If you add other flavorings, I’d still put some vanilla in as well.  We have a shindig with friends coming up in a couple weeks and I think I’m going to try a couple other flavors of fudge!

Marbled Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Fudge

Oh yes I did!  I made fudge and marbled it with edible (no-egg) chocolate chip cookie dough.  Mmmm!

Merry Christmas!  This is perfect fudge.  Actually, I would prefer some walnuts in the cookie dough as well.  I just always worry that some are either allergic or don’t like nuts, so I often leave them out when I’m making something that many people will be eating.  Walnuts would have really made this fudge though!  I came up with this idea myself, but I’m sure someone somewhere has probably already thought of it and done it.  I didn’t bother looking over the world wide web.  I just took two simple, often-used recipes and combined them to make this.  I’m not sure who the credit for the edible cookie dough goes to, but the fudge is from Eagle Brand as this is the simple sweetened condensed milk added to chocolate version of fudge. 

The cookie dough actually also has sweetened condensed milk in it as well, so I suppose credit for that also goes to Eagle Brand (though I didn’t find a recipe for it on their website). 

 Marbled Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Fudge, by Katrina, Baking and Boys!

Fudge:

3 cups chocolate chips

1—14 ounce can fat free sweetened condensed milk (makes them healthy! ;))

dash of salt

1  1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Cookie Dough:

1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

6 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup all purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

7 ounces fat free sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips

1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts (optional)

Make the cookie dough first.  Beat together the butter and brown sugar until well mixed.  Add the vanilla and combine.  Add the flour and salt and beat just until combined.  Beat in the condensed milk then stir in the chocolate chips and the nuts, if using.  Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.  After the dough has chilled, take pieces of it and put them on waxed paper, about 20-30 pieces differing in sizes from about a teaspoon to a tablespoons.

For the fudge—line a 9 inch square pan with non-stick foil. Spray lightly with cooking spray. Set aside.  Melt the chocolate chips, salt, vanilla and sweetened condensed milk in a medium sized saucepan until smooth.  Spread half of the fudge in the bottom of the pan.  Dot the fudge with the cookie dough pieces.  Take a butter knife and swirl it around the cookie dough and fudge.  It won’t mix in totally and you don’t want it to.  Top it with the rest of the fudge and smooth the top.  Let chill for a couple hours.  Remove from foil and cut into desired sized pieces on a cutting board. 

(I actually made double the amount of cookie dough and only used about half of it for the fudge, so you could easily double it and make two batches of fudge.  I’m about to use the rest and add some walnuts to the leftover cookie dough first.)

Good stuff!

TWD—Bittersweet Brownies

Check out my post for National Bundt Cake Day today—and oh yeah---it’s also my birthday!  I’ve made the last few weeks fun having excuses to make a couple bundt cakes, you know, to honor the day.

But I do want to tell you about this week’s TWD.  Once again, we had two recipes to choose from or we could make both.  I wanted to make the Alsatian Apple Tart (page 314), but I wasn’t able to get to it.  Will have to do that sometime though!  If you’d like the recipe for the tart, it was chosen by Jessica of cookbookhabit and she’ll have it posted.

I did make the Bittersweet Brownies that were chosen by Leslie of Lethally Delicious.  They’re brownies, how could I not do that one?  The recipe would have made a 9x13 pan of brownies and I decided to halve it because when I made them, we already had a couple other goodies to consume as well.   I followed the recipe exactly, using some 70% Lindt Excellence dark chocolate (one of my very favorites!).  The only thing I did different was leave out the espresso powder, which was optional anyway. 

These brownies, that Dorie suggests only bake for 20-22 minutes and no more, are very fudgy.  I chilled them in the fridge overnight—which is a perfect way to “set” brownies.   I liked them.  I like fudge.  Kevin thought they were TOO fudgy.  With all this baking I’ve been doing over the last few years, he has come to realize and appreciate that he is learning what he likes and doesn’t really like in baked goods.  He strongly dislikes fudge.  So he didn’t care for these brownies.  He has learned he prefers dense but chewy brownies.  Good for him!  These brownies really were like baked fudge—is there such a thing?  These would be good cut into one inch squares as they are rich and a little bit will do you at a time.

As much as they were not Kevin’s favorite kind of brownies, I believe that between he and Scottie, they ate probably 90% of the 8x8 inch pan.  Please pass the fudge!

By the end of the year, we will be finished with Dorie’s Baking From My Home To Yours and that is very bittersweet, too!  Never fear the Tuesdays With Dorie group will be starting another Dorie Greenspan favorite, Baking With Julia.

Two posts in one day—check out my post in celebration of National Bundt Cake Day!

Merry Christmas, Everyone!! (Rocky Road Fudge, Soft Gingersnap Cookies With White Chocolate, Philly Fudge, Most Excellent Cookies Ever-Chocolate Mint Cookies, and Divinity Chocolate Truffles)

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas.  We are pretty much ready here.  After wrapping most of the presents last night after the boys went to bed, they were beyond excited all day today checking out the presents constantly, trying to figure out what could be in each one.

I made more Rocky Road Fudge Candy today.  After finding these fun marshmallows in the store, I just had to give them a try in the fudge.

 

The fudge sliced with some great marshmallow shapes.  Fun and festive!

A little intermission from Chip.  I love that he always has one ear up and one ear down.  Chip weighs all of about 5 1/2 pounds.  He’s becoming less shy and starting to chew on things.  (We’re in a puppy training class with him.)   I’ve been calling him Chipper Chew.

I made these Soft Gingersnap Cookies with white chocolate that I saw Maria post at Two Peas and Their Pod.  I tried some with no chocolate, some with mini semi sweet chocolate chips and some with chopped white chocolate. I baked some on a baking sheet (they baked flatter than the ones on the pizza stone) and some on a pizza stone as Maria said her friend suggested who shared the recipe with her.  The best ones by far were the ones I did just as the recipe suggested with the white chocolate and baked on a pizza stone.  These are some great soft ginger cookies and again I was surprised how much I liked the white chocolate.  Give these cookies a try sometime!

While trying to find different fudge recipes to make, I came across a post on the blog, Dying For Chocolate for Philly Fudge.  Who knew National Fudge Day was on June 16?  I’m so happy to know this now.   Fudge isn’t just for Christmas anymore!  On Janet’s post, there are also links to many more fudge recipes.

This fudge is a softer one that has a hint of cream cheese taste and needs to stay in the refrigerator.  It tastes great!

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One of my friends from Kansas, Tiffany, who moved to Albuquerque before we even left Kansas (so yes, she left me first! ;) called me a few days ago and told me someone gave her the best cookie recipe ever and that I just had to try it.  Try I must!  These are a chocolate cookie and once it’s baked and comes out of the oven, you put an Andes Mint on top, let it melt a few minutes, then smooth it over the cookie.  (I sprinkled mine with some festive sprinkles.)  The cookies are good!  Mine were slightly crisp and chewy.  Tiffany said hers were a little more soft chewy.  I think it’s an altitude issue here.

I’m not sure of the origin of the recipe Tiffany shared with me, but here it is.

Most Excellent Cookies Ever (Chocolate Mint Cookies), origin of recipe unknown

3/4 cup butter
1  1/2 cups brown sugar
2 tablespoons water

2 large eggs
2 cups semi-sweet choc chips
2 1/2 cups flour
1  1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Andes Mint candies (1-2 packages)

Melt butter, brown sugar & water over medium heat until melted, add in choc chips and stir until completely melted. Cool for 10 minutes. Transfer to mixing bowl and beat in 2 eggs. Add dry ingredients and mix. Let chill for 45 minutes. Spoon onto cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 10 min. Place an Andes Mint on top of each cookie as soon as they come out of the oven. Allow to melt and then swirl with a knife. Yummy!

Thanks, Tiffany!  Miss and love ya to pieces!  I love it that when people eat a yummy cookie they often think of me. ;)

And finally (for now), yesterday I decided to make divinity.  Then I realized I am almost out of corn syrup.  So I searched the internet for an alternate kind that doesn’t have corn syrup and found a recipe on Kraft Foods for Creme Divinity that uses marshmallow creme and I had a jar in the pantry, so I gave it a try.

Now, when a recipe says “Beat until mixture just begins to lose its gloss and hold its shape when dropped from spoon.” (about 5 minutes) that you should not get interrupted when it’s almost to that stage and turn back to look a few minutes later and see that it is well past “gloss”.  You just shouldn’t do that if you want divinity.  Well, needless to say, that is what happened to me.  I wasn’t about to just toss the concoction, so although it was a little stiff, I threw in the pecans and rolled the now nougat-like mixture into small balls.  After those sat for about an hour hardening up slightly, I then dipped each ball into melted chocolate and once the chocolate hardened, I swirled some white chocolate on the top of each.

These are really good little truffles.

A certain someone has taken over claims on this chair.  We don’t mind so much because we want him to stay off our new black leather couches!  ‘Sides, he’s cute when he’s all nestled down in the chair.  “The children were nestled all snug in their beds…..”

Merry Christmas to all and to all a goodnight!

Caramel Pecan Fudge and Hershey’s Cookies’n’Creme Drops Fudge

It’s fudge time!  I really like fudge.  I like it enough that it’s dangerous for me.  I only make it during the holidays.  And then I give most of it away.  You know, you have to square off those edges nicely. ;)

One of the things I find most enjoyable is making up different kinds of fudge.  I do that with brownies, too.  One of my favorite brownies are Caramel Pecan Brownies.  I decided I needed to make Caramel Pecan Fudge.

I love how it sliced with the chunks of caramel and pieces of toasted pecans.  I used Kraft caramels and cut each into about six pieces.  I just used the easy fudge recipe from Borden’s Sweetened Condensed Milk.  I always use the fat free condensed milk, so all my fudge is low fat. (bwah!)  I cannot tell a difference between the fat free and the regular. 

Caramel Pecan Fudge, by Katrina, Baking and Boys! (Adapted from Borden’s)

3 cups chocolate chips (18 ounces) I used 1 cup semi sweet and 2 cups milk chocolate

1 can fat free sweetened condensed milk

pinch of salt

3/4 cup toasted, chopped pecans

24 Kraft caramels, unwrapped and cut into six pieces each

Line an 8x8 inch square baking pan with enough foil to hang a little over the edge of the pan and spray it with cooking spray.  Set aside.

In a medium sized saucepan, combine the condensed milk, chocolate chips and salt and melt over medium heat.  Stir with a wooden spoon until smooth.  Remove from heat and stir in the chopped pecans and caramels.  Spread the fudge evenly in the pan.  Refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.  Lift the fudge out of the pan with the foil edges and set it on a cutting board.  Cut into one inch squares.

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Have you seen the new Hershey’s Drops?  There’s milk chocolate and cookies’n’creme.  When I saw them last week, I had to grab a bag of each.

I decided to make fudge with the Cookies’n’ Creme Drops mixed in.  Again, this was really easy.

These have a great sweet crunch and contrast with the smooth, chocolaty fudge.

 

 Cookies’n’Creme Fudge, by Katrina, Baking and Boys! (Adapted from Borden’s)

2 cups, 1 pkg. (12 ounces) semi sweet chocolate chips (I used Hershey’s special dark chips)

1 can fat free sweetened condensed milk

2 tablespoons butter

pinch of salt

4 ounces Hershey’s Cookies’n’Creme Drops (about half a bag) 3 ounces roughly chopped (a good heaping half cup)

Line a 9 inch square baking pan with enough foil to hang a little over the edge of the pan and spray it with cooking spray.  Set aside.

In a medium sized saucepan, combine the condensed milk, chocolate chips, butter and salt and melt over medium heat.  Stir with a wooden spoon until smooth.  Remove from heat and stir in the chopped Drops.  Spread the fudge evenly in the pan.  Add the remaining whole Drops evenly over the fudge.  Refrigerate until firm about 2 hours.    Lift the fudge out of the pan with the foil edges and set it on a cutting board.  Cut into one inch squares.

 

Rocky Road Fudge Candy

This is as simple as it gets.  Fudge with marshmallows and peanuts.  Easy fudge. 

I do really like the super fancy, time intensive fudge.  But I’m not really partial to it.  ;)

A while back, Anna at Cookie Madness went Rocky Road Mad.  hehe  She posted a number of Rocky Road Candy/Fudge recipes.  This one is pretty tried and true and simple, and tastes great.  I modified the recipe Anna posted just slightly as it called for seven cups of mini marshmallows and that just really seemed like a lot to me, so I only added about four cups. 

Rocky Road Fudge, by Katrina, Baking and Boys!, adapted from Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk

12 ounce package chocolate chips (I used Hershey’s Special Dark chips)

1 can sweetened condensed milk (I used the Borden’s Eagle Brand fat free one)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 cups mini marshmallows

2 cups dry roasted peanuts

Line a 9x13 inch baking pan with foil, enough to overhang on the edges.  Spray lightly with cooking spray (or use non-stick foil).

In a large saucepan, combine the chocolate chips, butter and condensed milk over medium heat until it is melted and smooth.  Remove from heat and stir in the peanuts and marshmallows. Spread evenly into prepared pan.  Refrigerate for a couple hours.  Remove the fudge by lifting it with the foil edges.  Pull the foil off the fudge and set it on a cutting board.  Slice into desired sized pieces.

This stuff is good chilled, at room temperature and/or frozen/thawed.  It literally only takes minutes to make  and you could add any mix-ins, nuts, candy, dried fruit, etc.  The original recipe can be found  at Eagle Brand.