Heavenly Hash

Description:  Heavenly Hash is a chocolate covered candy with a sweet cherry-coconut filling.

Sorry, no picture this time.  But this is per special request:

1 pound sugar (3 1/2 cups)
2 sticks margarine
1 med jar drained maraschino cherries (Chopped)
2 c nuts (Chopped)
1 c coconut

1 pkg chocolate chips
Block of paraffin wax
(Or I just use almond bark)

Cream together sugar and margarine.  Add cherries, coconut and nuts. Mix well. Form into balls (I use cookie dough scoop). Refrigerate until firm. In a double boiler, melt chocolate. Dip balls into chocolate until completely covered. Place on pan with wax paper to cool.

O'Henrietta Bars

• 1/4 cup butter OR margarine, softened
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup Light or Dark Corn Syrup (or 1/3 c brown sugar with 1 T water)
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1-1/2 cups quick oats
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (3 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 8- or 9-inch square baking pan with cooking spray. 2. Mix butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, and salt with electric mixer until smooth. Stir in oats. Press into prepared pan.
3. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until center is barely firm. Cool on wire rack 5 minutes.
4. Sprinkle with chocolate chips; top with small spoonfuls of peanut butter. Let stand 5 minutes; spread peanut butter and chocolate over bars, swirling to marbleize.
5. Cool completely. Refrigerate 15 minutes to set topping. Cut into bars. 

Gooey Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

CRUST:

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup Corn Starch
• 1/2 cup butter OR margarine

 FILLING:

• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup Light Corn Syrup (or 1/2 c sugar and 1/8 c water)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup flaked coconut
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. For CRUST: Combine flour, sugar and corn starch in a medium bowl. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Press into a greased 13 x 9-inch pan.
2. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 15 to 18 minutes or until crust is lightly browned.
3. For FILLING: Beat eggs, corn syrup, peanut butter, vanilla and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Stir in coconut and chocolate chips. Pour over crust. Return to oven.
4. Bake an additional 20 to 25 minutes, or until mixture is golden. Cool and cut into bars.

Blackberry Crumb Bars

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
3/4 cup granulated white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup almond flour or very finely ground almonds
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups seedless Blackberry Jam
powdered sugar, for dusting

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spray 9x13-inch pan with nonstick spray.
2. Prepare shortbread: In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to combine butter and sugars; beat until creamy. Add vanilla and salt and beat until well combined. Beat the almond flour and the all-purpose flour into the butter mixture on low speed, just until a smooth dough forms. Divide the dough in half. Wrap one half in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or so. Press the other half of the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan to form the bottom crust.
3. Bake the crust until it is just beginning to turn light brown around the edges, about 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven. Place jam into a bowl and stir very well until it is nice and smooth. Spread the jam evenly over the partially baked crust. Crumble the refrigerated shortbread dough over the jam to form a crumbled topping. Return the pan to the oven and continue baking until the topping is firm and crisp and golden in color, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. Sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar before cutting into bars.

Tips:

*Almond flour is sold in a bag (I always buy Bob's Red Mill brand). Ask your market if they carry it.
*If you can find a jar of Smucker's brand seedless Blackberry Jam- 18 ounces- it is the perfect size for this recipe.
*Substitute raspberry or apricot jam if you wish to change up the flavors.
*The bars will keep in a covered container at room temperature for about 1 week. Or keep in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Source: RecipeGirl.com (adapted from Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey)

No Bake Peanut Butter Drop Cookies

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup corn syrup
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 5 cups Cherrios or Chex

1. In a large sauce pan, combine sugar and corn syrup.  Bring to boil over medium heat.
2. Allow mixture to boil for one minute and remove from heat.
3. Add peanut butter and vanilla to mixture and mix until smooth.
4. Add Cheerios or Chex and mix until all coated.
5. Drop mixture by spoonful onto waxed paper and allow to cool.  Enjoy.  (I get about 2 dozen from this recipe.  It all just depends on how big you make them.)

Christmas Mix

1 lb mixed nuts or peanuts
1 box cheerios
1 box rice chex
1 box wheat chex
1 pkg pretzels

1 stick marg
8 T Worcestershire sauce
1 t garlic salt
salt
celery salt

In a large bowl, mix together first list of ingredients.  In a pan, mix together second list of ingredients and heat until marg melts.  Pour liquid mixture over dry ingredients and stir well.  Pour mix onto a jelly roll pan and bake at 275 for 2 hours, stirring every 15 minutes. 

Peanut Brittle

• 1  cup  sugar
• 1/2  cup  light corn syrup
• 1/8  teaspoon  salt
• 1  cup  dry-roasted or shelled raw peanuts
• 2  tablespoons  butter
• 1  teaspoon  baking soda
• 2  teaspoons  vanilla

Butter a jelly roll pan (cookie sheet with side), set aside.  In a sauce pan, combine sugar, corn syrup, and water.  Heat on medium heat until reaches 285 degrees.  Remove from heat and add peanuts and butter.  Cook over medium heat again until mixture reaches 295 degrees.  Remove from heat and add vanilla and baking soda. Pour onto buttered jelly roll pans. Spread thin.  Cool until firm and break into pieces.

Mom's Peanut Butter Fudge

4 c sugar
14.5 oz can (1-2/3 c) evaporated milk
1 c butter
1-12 oz pkg peanut butter chips (or you can use chocolate for chocolate fudge, or half and half for choc-peanut butter)
1 pint (2 cups) marshmallow cream
1 t vanilla
1 cup chopped peanuts (optional, i usually omit)

Butter the sides of a 3 qt saucepan.  Add sugar, evaporated milk, and butter.  Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, to soft ball stage. (236 degrees, using a candy thermometer) Once the mixture reaches tempterature, remove from heat and immediately add peanut butter chips, marshmallow cream, vanilla, and nuts if desired.  Beat until chips melt. Pour into buttered 9x13 pan.  Allow to cool completely. 

Tip:  To keep fudge fresh for longer, store in the freezer in an air-tight container.

Caramels

1 c melted butter
2-1/4 c br sugar
dash salt
1 c corn syrup
1-14 oz can sweet and condensed milk

1 t vanilla

Combine first 5 ingredients in a medium sauce pan.  On medium heat, heat mixture to firm ball stage. (245 degrees, using a candy thermometer)  Once mixture reaches desired tempterature, remove from heat and stir in vanilla.  Pour into a buttered 9 inch square pan. Cool and cut into squares.

Tip: This recipe makes a lot caramel, you may want to cut the recipe in half. We cut the pieces with scissors and wrapped each piece in wax paper.

Ginger Cookies

• 2 cups flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons Ground Ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon Ground Saigon Cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon Ground Cloves
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup Butter
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup Dark Corn Syrup (or 1/4 c br sugar and 1 T water)
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup sugar

 
1. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon and cloves in a medium bowl; set aside.
2. Beat 1 cup sugar and butter in a large bowl with mixer at medium high speed until well mixed. Beat in egg and corn syrup until smooth. Stir in flour mixture. Refrigerate dough 1 hour or until easy to handle. 3. Place 1/3 to 1/2 cup sugar in a small dish. Shape dough into 3/4 to 1-inch balls; roll in sugar. Place balls 2 inches apart on greased baking sheets.
4. Bake in preheated 350°F oven for 9 to 11 minutes or just until golden around edges. Cool on baking sheet 1 minute; remove to wire racks to finish cooling.

TIP: To speed chilling, place dough in freezer for 15 to 30 minutes instead of refrigerating.

Church Windows

2 c chocolate chips
6 T marg
1 cup chopped nuts
1- 10.5 oz pkg colored mini marshmallows


Melt butter and chocolate chips over low heat.  Allow to cool slightly.  Stir in nuts and marshmallows.  Pour mixture onto an 18-inch sheet of wax paper. Roll the loaf of marshmallow mixture in the wax paper, and twist wax paper at the ends to seal. Refrigerate until firm, about 3 hours. Cut into 1/4-inch slices to serve.

Oatmeal Hermits

• 2 cups quick-cooking oats
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1-1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
• 1/2 cup Dark or with real Brown Sugar Corn Syrup (Or substitute 1/2 c Br sugar with 1/8 cup water or oil)
• 1/2 cup vegetable Oil
• 2 eggs

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Mix oats, sugar and chocolate chips in a large bowl; add flour, salt, baking powder and cinnamon and mix well. Whisk together corn syrup, oil and eggs in a small bowl. Add to dry ingredients.
3. Drop dough by rounded tablespoons 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet.
4. Bake 12 to 15 minutes until lightly browned around edges. Remove cookies to wire rack to cool.

VARIATION: Omit cinnamon and add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract to the corn syrup mixture.

Cool Whip Cookies

These are EASY and Delicious!!

1 pkg. (2 lg. size) lemon or chocolate cake mix (or any other kind you'd like)
2 c. Cool Whip
1 lg. egg
Powdered sugar

Mix all ingredients except powdered sugar with mixer. Roll a spoonful of dough in powdered sugar. Place on cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees in preheated oven for 7-8 minutes. Note: These may be made with any flavor cake mix.

Do not overcook.  Cookies should be a little chewy.

Pie Crust

8" crust (or 4 apple dumplings
1 1/2 c flour
3/4 t salt
1/2 c shortening (lard)
3 T water

9" crust (or 6 apple dumplings)
2 c flour
1 t salt
2/3 c shortening (lard)
1/4 c water

*if using crisco, add 1 extra T)

Using a dough hook and mixer (or a pasty blender by hand) mix flour, salt, and lard together until mixture in crumbly.   Add water and mix just until comes together.  Roll out using pastry cloth and rolling pin cover for easy rolling. 

Kitchen Tip - Bacon!!

To save time cooking bacon (and time cleaning up the grease splatter), try baking your bacon!

Line a jelly roll pan with foil (makes for a lot easier cleanup) and set a oven proof cooling rack or baking rack on top.  Place bacon on rack and bake according to the back of the package. 

For delicious sweet and crispy bacon, sprinkle each slice with a little brown sugar.  Yum!!

Pumpkin Spice Cake with Brown Sugar Frosting

1 pkg. (2-layer size) spice cake mix

1 cup  water

1 cup canned pumpkin

1/3 cup  oil

3 eggs

3/4 cup  chopped Walnuts

1 pkg. (8 oz.) Cream Cheese, softened

1/3 cup  packed dark brown sugar

1 cup thawed Whipped Topping 

 

HEAT oven to 350ºF.
BEAT first 5 ingredients in large bowl with mixer 2 min. or until well blended. Stir in nuts. Pour into 13x9-inch pan sprayed with cooking spray.
BAKE 30 to 32 min. or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely.
BEAT Neufchatel and sugar in small bowl with mixer until well blended. Add COOL WHIP; mix well. Spread over cake.

 

Mile-High Peanut Butter Pie

35 NILLA Wafers, finely crushed (about 1 cup)

1/4 cup  butter, melted

1 pkg. (3.9 oz.) Chocolate Instant Pudding

2 cups  cold milk, divided

4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) Cream Cheese, softened

1 pkg.  (3.4 oz.) Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding

1/2 cup peanut butter, divided

2 cups  thawed Whipped Topping, divided

1/2 square BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate 

 

HEAT oven to 375ºF.
MIX wafer crumbs and butter until well blended; press onto bottom and up side of 9-inch pie plate. Bake 10 min.; cool.
BEAT chocolate pudding mix and 1 cup milk with whisk 2 min. (Pudding will be thick.) Spread onto bottom of crust. Gradually add remaining milk to cream cheese in large bowl with mixer until well blended. Add dry vanilla pudding mix; beat 2 min. Reserve 1 Tbsp. peanut butter. Add remaining to vanilla pudding mixture; beat until well blended. Stir in 1 cup COOL WHIP. Spread over chocolate pudding layer to within 1 inch of edge. Spoon remaining COOL WHIP onto center of pie.
REFRIGERATE 3 hours. When ready to serve, microwave remaining peanut butter in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 15 sec. or until melted. Melt chocolate as directed on package. Drizzle peanut butter and chocolate over pie.

 

Layered Chocolate-Peanut Butter Fudge

1 pkg. (8 squares) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate

3/4 cup  canned sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup Peanuts, chopped

1 pkg.  (6 squares) BAKER'S White Chocolate

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter 

 

MICROWAVE semi-sweet chocolate and milk in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 min. or until chocolate is almost melted, stirring after 1 min. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in nuts. Spread onto bottom of foil-lined 8-inch square pan.
MICROWAVE white chocolate in separate microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1-1/2 min. or until chocolate is almost melted, stirring after 1 min. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Add peanut butter; stir until melted. Spread over semi-sweet chocolate layer.
REFRIGERATE 2 hours or until firm. Cut into squares.
 

Chocolate-Peppermint Striped Delight

45 NILLA Wafers, finely crushed (about 1-1/2 cups)

1/4 cup  butter, melted

1/2 cup sugar, divided

1 pkg.  (8 oz.) Cream Cheese, softened

3 cups plus 2 Tbsp. cold milk, divided

1/4 cup  finely crushed candy canes

1 tub (12 oz.) Whipped Topping, thawed, divided

2 pkg.  (3.9 oz. each)  Chocolate Instant Pudding

1/4 cup coarsely crushed candy canes 

 

MIX wafer crumbs, butter and 2 Tbsp. sugar; press onto bottom of 13x9-inch dish. Refrigerate until ready to use.
BEAT cream cheese, remaining sugar and 2 Tbsp. milk in medium bowl until well blended. Stir in finely crushed candy canes. Add 1-1/4 cups COOL WHIP; mix well. Spread over crust.
BEAT pudding mixes and remaining milk with whisk 2 min.; pour over cream cheese layer. Let stand 5 min. or until thickened. Cover with remaining COOL WHIP.
REFRIGERATE 4 hours. Top with coarsely crushed candy canes just before serving.
 

Chocolate-Pecan Pie Bars

1 cup butter or margarine, softened

2 cups  flour

2 cups sugar, divided

1/4 tsp.  salt

1-1/2 cups light corn syrup

1 pkg.  (8 squares) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, divided

4 eggs, beaten

1-1/2 tsp.  vanilla

2-1/2 cups chopped PLANTERS Pecans 

 

HEAT oven to 350ºF.
BEAT butter, flour, 1/2 cup sugar and salt with mixer until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press onto bottom of 15x10x1-inch pan sprayed with cooking spray. Bake 20 min. or until lightly browned.
MEANWHILE, microwave corn syrup and 6 chocolate squares in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2-1/2 min. or until chocolate is almost melted, stirring after 1-1/2 min.; stir until completely melted. Add remaining sugar, eggs and vanilla; mix well. Stir in nuts. Pour over warm crust; spread to evenly cover crust.
BAKE 35 min. or until filling is firm around edges but still slightly soft in center. Cool completely. Melt remaining chocolate squares as directed on package; drizzle over cooled bars. Let stand until chocolate is firm.

 

Overnight Stuffed French Toast

1 pkg (8 oz.)  Cream Cheese

3 Tbsp.  sugar

8 slices cinnamon-swirl bread

4   eggs

1/2 cup milk

2 cups  sliced fresh strawberries (or fried apples, or favorite pie filling)

1 cup blueberries 

MIX reduced-fat cream cheese and sugar until well blended; spread onto bread. Place 4 bread slices, cream cheese-sides up, in 8-inch square baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Cover with remaining bread slices, cream cheese-sides down.
WHISK eggs and milk until well blended; pour over bread. Cover; refrigerate overnight.
HEAT oven to 350ºF. Bake, uncovered, 30 to 35 min. or until center is set and top is lightly browned. Serve topped with fruit.