Monday, December 22, 2008

Hershey/Reeses Double Decker Fudge



Ingredients:

2 cups (12 oz. pkg.) Reese's peanut butter chips,
divided use1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup Hershey's cocoa
1 tsp. vanilla
4 1/2 cups sugar
1 (7 oz.) jar marshmallow creme
1 1/2 cups (12 oz. can) evaporated milk
1/4 cup butter


Line a 13x9x2-inch pan with foil. Place 1 cup peanut butter chips in medium bowl; set aside. In second medium bowl, blend 1/4 cup melted butter, cocoa and vanilla until smooth; add 1 cup peanut butter chips.



In heavy 4-quart saucepan, combine sugar, marshmallow creme, evaporated milk and 1/4 cup butter. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until mixture comes to a rolling boil; boil and stir 5 minutes.



Remove from heat, immediately add half of hot mixture to bowl with peanut butter chips only. Pour remainder into cocoa mixture; stir to blend.



Beat peanut butter mixture until chips are completely melted; spread evenly in prepared pan.



Beat cocoa mixture until chips are melted and mixture thickens. Spread evenly over top of peanut butter layer.



Cool; remove from pan. Remove foil; cut into squares. Store in airtight container in a cool, dry place. Makes about 4 pounds

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Melt In Your Mouth Sugar Cookies

COOKIES
*preheat the oven to 350

1 cup butter (room temperature)
1/3 cup power sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup flour
3/4 cup cornstarch

1. Cream butter, powder sugar & vanilla together
2. Sift flower and cornstarch and add to mixture
3. Drop teaspoon size balls onto a grease cookie sheet and flatten the tops with your fingers
4. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes in the middle to upper racks and watch they should be light brown on the bottoms
5. Frost with frosting recipe below when the cookies are still warm

FROSTING
1 cup powder sugar
1 Tbsp melted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp milk

*I doubled the frosting recipe because you can never have enough frosting! This recipe ends up with 15-20 cookies

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Oreo Cookies

This is just a super easy recipe. Our friends always request them at Christmas, and they are my kids favorite treat. I usually double the frosting recipe. I also prefer not to make a sandwich with mine. I usually load 1-2 cups of frosting on a single cookie and pretend not to notice the frosting oozing out the side of my mouth as I shove it on in. But hey, thats just me.

2 packages devils food cake mix
4 eggs
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 (8oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
3 to 4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

In a large bowl, beat cake mixes, eggs, and oil. Roll into 1 inch balls and place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. Cool.

In another bowl, beat cream cheese and butter. Add sugar and vanilla and mix until smooth. Spread on bottom of half the cookies and top with remaining cookies.

Friday, December 19, 2008

Red Velvet Bread Pudding


We didn't have any favorite holiday desserts that we could think of, but we found this one watching Paula Dean and decided to give it a whirl. It was well worth it. Even just the recipe for the red velvet cake is delicious by itself.

Red Velvet Cake:
2 cups sugar
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
2 eggs
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 ounces red food coloring
2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon vinegar

Bread Pudding Mix:
3 cups half-and-half
3 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
Pinch salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar

Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Greased 9 by 13 by 2-inch sheet pan.
In a mixing bowl, cream the sugar and butter, beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs 1 at a time and mix well after each addition. Mix cocoa and food coloring together and then add to sugar mixture; mix well. Sift together flour and salt. Add flour mixture to the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk. Blend in vanilla.
In a small bowl, combine baking soda and vinegar and add to mixture. Pour batter into the prepared sheet pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from heat and cool completely. When the cake is cooled, cut into 1-inch cubes.

Place cubes onto 11 by 17-inch cookie sheet. Place in oven for 10 minutes.

Bread Pudding Mix:

Combine the half-and-half, eggs, egg yolk, salt, and vanilla in a medium bowl. With an electric hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Mix in the half-and-half mixture.

Place the red velvet cubes in a large baking dish or 8 individual ramekins. Add the pudding mixture to the dish. Make sure the cake cubes are completely covered. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the pudding is set. Serve with ice cream.




Chocolate Chex Caramel Mix

Okay, don't laugh. I have wanted to make this for a long time, and I changed up a couple of things, so I get to claim it! And its easy, and good!
Ingredients:
8 cups Chocolate Chex® cereal
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
6 tablespoons butter or margarine
4 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup of vanilla frosting

Preparations
1. Into large microwavable bowl, measure cereal; set aside.
2. Combine brown sugar, butter and corn syrup microwave uncovered on High 1 to 2 minutes, stirring after 1 minute, until melted and smooth.
3. Stir in baking soda until dissolved.
4. Pour over cereal, stirring until evenly coated.
5. Microwave on High 3 minutes, stirring every minute.
6. Spread on cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Let cool.
7. Warm vanilla frosting in microwave for 1 min. Drizzle over snack. (You can put it in a ziploc bag and cut the bottom corner) Refrigerate until set. Store in tightly covered container.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Holiday Desserts


We wanted to start a Recipe Exchange, and since no one lives close by we are going to do it via a blog. This month let's do your favorite Holiday desserts. Post by or on the 20th.
Rules:
  • You have to have made your recipe
  • Take a picture of your finished product
  • Post the recipe and picture

I need to send an author invite to anyone who posts, so leave your email address if you haven't got an invite yet.

I am excited to start this, no one is allowed to flake out!!!