Easy Rocky Road Fudge

This is a gem of a recipe.  I found it in the December 2006 issue of Good Housekeeping.  I've made it almost every year since for Christmas.  My husband likes it because it's not as rich as some fudge recipes can be, and I like it because it uses simple ingredients and still tastes delicious.  It's so pretty looking that it makes a great gift for friends or neighbors. 

EASY ROCKY ROAD FUDGE

1 pkg. (12 oz. or 2 cups) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips*
1 cup crunchy peanut butter
1 Tbsp. butter
1 pkg. (10 oz) miniature marshmallows

Line an 8x8 or 9x9 pan (for thicker fudge - like pictured above) or a 9x13 pan (for thinner fudge) with aluminum foil, with edges extending over the sides a bit.  In a large saucepan, combine chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, peanut butter, and butter.  Cook over medium heat 2 to 3 minutes or just until ingredients are melted, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and stir in marshmallows.  Pour into lined pan and spread evenly.  Refrigerate until firm, at least 3 hours.

Pull fudge out of the pan by the foil edges and let sit 10 minutes before removing foil and cutting fudge.  Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

*If you do not have butterscotch chips, you can substitute with more semi-sweet or even milk chocolate chips.

Chocolate Bird Nests

This is what happens when you read the cereal box.  I saw the recipe for these on the side of a box of Original Fiber One and they just sounded good.  I've been craving chocolate lately and these are actually pretty healthy for you.  Lots of fiber!  Only 3 ingredients and no baking make these an easy treat.  The box calls these "haystacks" but I think "bird nests" is better.  These would be super cute around Easter time with some Cadbury Mini Eggs (you know, those chocolate candies that look like little robin's eggs?) pressed in the center.

The original recipe calls for 1/2 cup of peanut butter, but I found that it softens the chocolate a little too much - these melt in your hands pretty easily.  So I decided to reduce the amount of peanut butter to 1/4 cup.  Even less fat that way and they still taste yummy.  And I feel no guilt when I eat more than one. Check the link below for nutritional stats.

CHOCOLATE BIRD NESTS
slightly adapted from Fiber One recipe

1 (12 oz) bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup peanut butter (reduced fat is fine)
1 pouch (3 3/4 cups) Original Fiber One cereal

Line two cookie sheets with waxed or parchment paper.  In a microwave-safe bowl, heat chocolate chips and peanut butter on HIGH 1 minute, stirring after 30 seconds.  Microwave 30 seconds to 1 minute more, stirring after every 15 seconds, until melted and smooth.

In a large bowl, stir together cereal with chocolate mixture until evenly coated.  Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto lined cookies sheets.  Refrigerate until firm.  Store in an airtight container in the fridge.  I got 18 "cookies" out of this, but I made them a little big.

Pumpkin Spice Almonds

So, I've made homemade Smoked Almonds and Cinnamon Sugar Almonds before for my husband who loves nuts.  When I found raw almonds on sale for $2.99 a pound at a local store, I thought I'd make him some more.  And then I wondered if they would be good with pumpkin pie spice and ... they are!  But I think the vanilla in this recipe is what sends these nuts over the top.  Even my daughter can't stop eating them and tells me they taste like pumpkin pie.

These make a great snack and would be a yummy gift for someone over the holidays.

PUMPKIN SPICE ALMONDS
slightly adapted from Cinnamon Toasted Almonds on Taste of Home

4 cups raw almonds
2 egg whites
2 Tbsp. vanilla
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice*

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Line two rimmed baking sheets with foil and spray with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, whisk the egg whites until frothy; whisk in vanilla.  Stir in the almonds until evenly coated.  In another bowl, mix together sugars, salt, and pumpkin pie spice until thoroughly mixed.  Add spice mixture to almonds and toss to coat.

Spread almonds in a single layer on each baking sheet.  Bake for 15 minutes, then stir.  Bake 15 minutes more and then let cool.  Store in an airtight container.

*Substitute for 2 tsp. of pumpkin pie spice:
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

Jell-o Popcorn

Yeah, the name sounds a little weird, but this stuff is good.  You can make it any flavor you want (I prefer cherry) and it makes a lot.  We got the recipe out of my old elementary school's fundraiser cookbook and my siblings and I inhaled the stuff.

As you will see from the ingredients, this is not health food.  And your dentist would absolutely frown upon it.  But sometimes a body needs the odd combination of sweet, sticky, crunchy, fruity bliss.  This is seriously sticky stuff.  By the next day it is sure to remove any loose fillings in your teeth.  If you are looking for something less sticky, try this recipe from Our Best Bites.

And one last note: be sure to use yellow popcorn kernels, not white.  White popcorn kernels are smaller and pop smaller and are, in my humble opinion, an absolute waste of money.  Always buy yellow.

JELL-O POPCORN

1 cup un-popped yellow popcorn kernels
1 small box Jell-o (any flavor)
1 cup sugar
1 cup light corn syrup

Pop popcorn in an air popper; remove any unpopped kernels (we're trying to rot your teeth, not break them) and place popcorn in a very large bowl.  Combine sugar and corn syrup in a small saucepan; heat to almost boiling over med-low heat, stirring frequently.  Whisk in dry Jell-o and boil for 1 minute.  Quickly pour syrup mixture over popcorn and stir to coat using a wooden spoon (and oven mitts for safety).  Let cool until warm before eating!

Monster Bark

Here's a Halloween treat for grown-ups and kiddos alike. It's a sweet and salty snack and very colorful. It calls for candy corn, but gosh darn it I hate that stuff. I just couldn't bring myself to use it. And I didn't have quite enough Reeses Pieces and I regret not adding peanuts (totally forgot about them). So the bark in the photo is not truly indicative of what this stuff can be.

I went all over kingdom come trying to find those crazy Halloween Oreos. Finally found a package at the 3rd store I tried. I normally don't go for weird-colored Oreos, but they sure make this bark look more festive.

I do wish I'd made the bark a little thinner - it was really hard to break apart. That is why I've given a range for the amount of Almond Bark needed. You can do it to taste. Most packages I've found are 24 oz. But they come in bricks that you can cut apart. I wouldn't use less than 1 1/2 packages.

MONSTER BARK
adapted from Halloween Candy Bark on Tasty Kitchen

32 - 48 oz. vanilla Almond Bark
2 cups pretzel sticks
15 Halloween Oreos, broken into pieces
1 cup Reeses Pieces
1 cup peanuts
1 cup candy corn
Halloween-themed or chocolate sprinkles, optional

Line a jelly-roll pan with waxed paper. Spread pretzels and Oreo pieces evenly in pan. Melt Almond Bark according to package directions and slowly drizzle over pretzels/Oreos; pound flat. Sprinkle with Reese Pieces, peanuts, candy corn, and sprinkles. Refrigerate until solid, about 30 - 45 minutes. Break into pieces.

Chocolate Covered Easter Eggs

Happy Easter! I meant to post these yesterday but ran out of time - busy day! These are not the creamy peanut butter centers similar to buckeyes or Reese's Eggs. Instead they are chewy and crispy almost like a Whatchamacallit candy bar. They take some patience to make but are well worth the effort.

CHOCOLATE COVERED EASTER EGGS
adapted from Crunchy Chocolate Eggs on Allrecipes.com

1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups corn flakes, slightly crushed
2 1/2 cups crisp rice cereal
3 1/2 cups semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips
1 Tbsp. shortening
candy sprinkles or white chocolate for drizzle

In a large saucepan, combine brown sugar, corn syrup, and peanut butter. Cook and stir over medium heat until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Stir in corn flakes and rice cereal until thoroughly mixed.

Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto wax paper lined cookie sheet (I use a medium-sized cookie scoop). Roll into balls and pinch one end slightly to create egg shape:

Refrigerate until firm.

In a microwave safe bowl, melt chocolate chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Dip eggs in chocolate; allow excess to drip off and place on wax paper lined baking sheets. Decorate with candy sprinkles or drizzle with white chocolate. Refrigerate until chocolate is firm.

Eggs are best eaten at room temperature.

Cinnamon Sugar Almonds

I found this recipe on a blog called Not Just Decorating. It makes me wish I liked nuts because while it's baking, your house smells divine. These were ultimately more popular than the smoked almonds I also made - probably because of the sugar. They would make a great gift at the holidays, or any time for that matter!

CINNAMON SUGAR ALMONDS
from Not Just Decorating

4 cups almonds
1 egg white
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray.

Beat egg white until foamy. Stir in nuts and vanilla. Add sugars and cinnamon and toss to coat. Spread evenly on cookie sheet and bake for 1 hour, stirring occasionally (2-3 times). Allow to cool then store in an air-tight container.

English Toffee

When I lived in Georgia I had a friend who would bring me homemade toffee every Christmas. It was so darn good and I would hide it so I could have it all to myself. Well, this is the third Christmas since we moved away and no one has stepped up and given me toffee, the nerve. So I figured I should finally make my own.

I tried making toffee once. Actually several times. And it never turned out. I think I can blame a few different things for my failures: low quality butter, humidity, etc. Tonight I finally had success and I owe it to The Idea Room's recipe. And good quality butter. And a perfectly calibrated candy thermometer.

Here are some tips for making toffee:

1. Use good, name brand butter. NO Wal-mart butter here. It has a higher water content and will not turn out right. This recipe calls for salted butter, but if all you have is unsalted, add a pinch of salt at the end.
2. Calibrate your thermometer. Our Best Bites has a tutorial here.
3. Use a wooden spoon. The first batch I made I used a plastic spoon and it started to melt. Not cool.
4. Be careful. Be very careful. This stuff is hot and will melt your skin off! Two words: oven mitts.
   
5. Use a heavy duty saucepan. This reduces the chances of hot spots forming and burning your candy.
6. Line your cookie sheet with parchment or aluminum foil. It makes it easier to break the toffee in pieces. And there's less clean up.

ENGLISH TOFFEE
adapted from The Idea Room

1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter
1 cup white sugar
1 Tbsp. light corn syrup
2 Tbsp. water
1/2 - 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (depending on how much chocolate you like)
1/2 cup chopped toasted almonds or pecans

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. In a heavy saucepan melt butter over medium heat. Stir in sugar, corn syrup, and water. Bring to a boil. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until thermometer reads 290 degrees F. (Watch it carefully once it reaches 280 degrees because the temp will increase quickly and you don't want this to burn). Pour onto cookie sheet and quickly spread to desired thickness. Allow to cool for 5 minutes.

Sprinkle chocolate chips over warm toffee. Let sit 1-2 minutes or until softened and gently spread melted chocolate into an even layer. Sprinkle with almonds and lightly press so the almonds stick. Chill in refrigerator until hard. Crack into pieces and store in an airtight container. Makes 1 1/2 pounds.

VARIATIONS:

Extra nutty: Quickly stir in an additional 1/2 cup chopped or sliced almonds into toffee before pouring onto cookie sheet.

Salty/sweet: Sprinkle with 1 1/2 tsp. sea salt instead of almonds.

Hot Cocoa on a Stick

I was a little hesitant to share this because it's my Christmas gift to extended family this year and posting it will ruin the surprise. But I thought about it, and figured some of you might want to make these yourselves to hand out to teachers, crossing guards, hair stylists, etc. You can make individual ones like this:

I bought small treat bags at Michael's, put the chocolate end inside and added a few marshmallows. Then I secured the bag with a red twist tie and tied the tag (with instructions on back) with a ribbon. For the family, I put several into a large treat bag, added some marshmallows and tied the bag closed with ribbon and a tag. I then put them into the cute felt buckets you see below with a little paper filler to keep them snug.

I got the buckets at Target's Dollar Spot. Aren't they cute?

The recipe comes from Giver's Log. I do suggest checking out her post because she gives a lot of great advice about what chocolate to use and other molding ideas (like ice cube trays or small paper cups). I knew I was making a lot of these, so I bought Wilton's Brownie Bite silicone mold at Michael's (I had a lot of 40% off coupons, can you tell?), which has 24 squares. I estimate each square equals about 3/4 of an ounce. One batch made 11-12 squares.

I started out using popsicle sticks only to discover they aren't super great when it comes to stirring. So I switched to plastic spoons. You can leave them to set at room temperature or you can speed up the process by sticking them in the fridge. Once they are hard, you can just bend the mold and they pop right out.

The chocolates I used (because it's more economical than Ghiradelli's) are Baker's Semi-Sweet:

And the large Hershey's Symphony bar (the plain milk chocolate one - this photo says it's 5 oz. but I'm 99% sure they aren't 5 oz. anymore, more like 4.75 or something like that):


The Baker's bar is usually found in the baking aisle and the Symphony bar is in the candy aisle. The best prices I've found on both are at Wal-mart. I wasn't sure which would make better hot chocolate so I made one batch with just Bakers and one batch with just Symphony. Bakers was a little too...semi-sweet and didn't melt very well. The Symphony melted great but lacked flavor. So I compromised and combined them. And then I decided I wanted to dress it up a bit with peppermint. I've included instructions at the bottom.

HOT COCOA ON A STICK
from Giver's Log

8 oz. chocolate, chopped (4 oz. [4 squares] Bakers + one large Symphony bar)
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Sift together the cocoa and sugar in a small bowl (this is an important step - make sure you sift it - use a wire mesh strainer and a spoon if you have to).

In a microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate in the microwave on high, stirring after the first 30 seconds. Microwave 30 seconds more; stir. Microwave about 15 seconds more and stir (there will still be lumps of chocolate at this point but that is okay, just keep stirring it until it's all smooth).

Stir in half the cocoa mixture until combined. Stir in remaining half (this will take some elbow grease - the chocolate will be the consistency of a thick cookie dough).

Divide chocolate into molds (I just used a spoon). Insert spoons or sticks. Allow to firm up at room temp or refrigerate. Remove from molds.

PEPPERMINT VARIATION (this is enough for 8 hot cocoa batches):

12 oz. bag white candy melts
1/2 tsp. peppermint extract
1 box peppermint candy canes, crushed

Melt candy in microwave-safe bowl according to package instructions. Stir in extract (if candy freezes - or turns lumpy - add a teaspoon of shortening or vegetable oil). Dip hot cocoa "sticks" first in melted candy, then crushed candy canes. Lay on waxed or parchment paper until firm.

CINNAMON VARIATION:

Add 1/2 tsp. cinnamon to sifted cocoa and powdered sugar before stirring into chocolate. Later dip "sticks" in melted chocolate then dip in crushed red hot candies.


INSTRUCTIONS FOR MAKING HOT CHOCOLATE:

The amount of milk will vary depending on the amount of chocolate in your mold (2 Tbsp. = 1 oz.). Essentially it's 1 cup of milk to 1 oz. of chocolate. So, since my molds were essentially 3/4 of an ounce, these are my instructions:

Heat 3/4 cup (6 oz). milk in mug until steaming. Stir in chocolate until melted. Add marshmallows and enjoy!

These may be stored in an airtight container up to one year. Chocolate may "bloom" or lighten in color - this will not affect quality or taste.

Nutter Butter Ghosts/Snowmen

It's a little late to make these guys unless you want to make them into snowmen. But they are so darn yummy! Caralie and I made a batch about a week before Halloween and I forgot all about posting them until now.

NUTTER BUTTER GHOSTS/SNOWMEN

1 (1 lb.) package Nutter Butter cookies
1 (1 lb.) package white almond bark or vanilla candy coating
mini chocolate chips (for face, buttons)
Fruit Roll-Ups (for scarves)

Melt almond bark or candy coating according to package directions. Dip cookies to coat and place on wax paper-lined cookie sheet. Add mini chocolate chips for face (ghost/snowman) and buttons (snowman). Put cookies in fridge to harden. Cut fruit roll-ups into "scarves" and wrap around the neck of snowmen.

Cookies and Cream Fudge

This stuff is addicting. I added sweetened dried cranberries to make it more festive for the holidays. You do not have to add the cranberries if you don't want to. But if you leave out the cranberries, I'd recommend adding a few more Oreos.


COOKIES AND CREAM FUDGE

3 cups (18 oz - or 1 1/2 bags) white chocolate chips
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
14 Oreos
2/3 cup sweetened dried cranberries

Line an 8x8 square baking dish with aluminum foil. Chop or break Oreos into quarters (cookies will likely break into smaller pieces but that's okay). Shake out broken cookies in sieve or small-holed colander to remove smaller crumbs.

In a medium saucepan over low heat, combine sweetened condensed milk and chocolate chips; stir until chips are completely melted. Remove from heat and stir in cookies and cranberries. Pour into baking dish and refrigerate until firm (at least 2 hours). Pull fudge out of dish and remove foil. Cut into individual-size pieces.

Hot Fudge Sauce/Fondue/Dip

Another great recipe from a lady I used to work for. This is not good for you, therefore it tastes divine.


HOT FUDGE SAUCE

1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 cups sugar
1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
1 tsp. vanilla (optional)

Use a large saucepan to prevent boiling over. Melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in remaining ingredients except vanilla. Bring to a rolling boil and boil for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, if desired.

If sauce is not creamy and smooth, poor hot mixture into a blender and blend for 2-4 minutes, with the lid vented to allow steam to escape. Store in the refrigerator.


This is great hot fudge sauce for ice cream. Warm, it's a great fondue for fruit and pound cake. Cold, it's a great dip for fruit. Or whatever else needs some chocolate!

Popcorn Balls

POPCORN BALLS


5 quarts popped popcorn
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup margarine or butter
2 tsp. cold water
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 5/8 cups powdered sugar
1 cup marshmallows
food coloring (optional)

Here's what I do: I use my air popper and a large bowl. A quart of popcorn is 4 cups. Typically a 1/4 cup of kernels will yield 4 cups of popped popcorn. As the popcorn falls into the bowl, I scoop it loosely with my fingers (to remove un-popped, tooth cracking kernels) and place the popcorn in my 4-cup Pyrex measuring cup. Then I dump that into my large roasting pan. Once I have all 5 quarts, I put the roasting pan in the oven on "warm."


In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the corn syrup, butter, cold water, vanilla, powdered sugar, and marshmallows. Heat and stir until the mixture comes to a boil (stir in food coloring, if desired).

Take roasting pan out of the oven (use mitts!) and pour syrup mixture over popcorn. Stir until every kernel is coated.

Spray a 1-cup measuring cup and your hands with cooking spray. Fill measuring cup with coated popcorn (mine were heaping cup-fulls). Remove from cup and firmly press to form a ball. (This way, they are all the same size). Place on waxed paper to cool. Repeat (adding cooking spray as needed). Makes 15 - 20 popcorn balls, depending on size.

Caramel Apples

This is a recipe for REAL caramel apples. As in, you make the caramel vs. melting a bunch of hard little cubes. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for the cubes ... but for me I only use them when I make my "gourmet" caramel apples (ie: caramel, chocolate, and peanut apples) because the caramel hardens faster. But when it comes to plain caramel apples, I like home-made because you get a stronger butter and vanilla flavor. Mmmmm!

I got the idea to make them after someone at the family Halloween party (was it you, Kim?) made some killer home-made caramel apples. I ate two in one sitting. I only had 1 cup of cream, so I halved the recipe, but if you follow the recipe as is you can get 8 - 10 apples out of it (depending on size).

Now, when it comes to choosing apples, I prefer Fuji apples for their crispness and almost cinnamon-y flavor. I typically don't like Granny Smiths because they can be too tart for me, but I understand why many people prefer them - the tart of the apple cuts the sweet of the caramel. I am tempted to try Golden Delicious because they have the thinnest skins and would therefore be the easiest to eat. But ultimately, just use whatever apple floats your boat.

To spear the apples you can use several different things: popsicle sticks, lollipop sticks, wooden dowels, etc. When taking a gourmet caramel apple class, I was taught to use wooden dowels (you can buy them in the cake decorating section) that were sharpened into a point with a pencil sharpener. This time around all I had were extra-long lollipop sticks. Whatever your weapon of choice, make sure the apples are:

1. Clean and dry
2. Room temperature
3. Padded underneath (place the apple on top of a folded towel, for example) to prevent bruising

I use a meat mallot to tap the dowel/stick into the center of the apple. Tap it gently and try not to go further than half-way into the apple. Now you're ready to make the caramel!


CARAMEL APPLES

8 - 10 impaled small-medium sized apples
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 tsp. salt
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup butter at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract

In a large, heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, syrup, and salt. Over med-low heat, bring mixture to a boil and heat to 240 degrees.

Stir in butter and cream (the mixture will bubble up). Add vanilla.

Return to a boil and continue cooking until mixture returns to 240 degrees (soft-ball stage).

Remove from heat and let cool to 200 degrees before coating apples.

Place apples on heavily buttered dish or cookie sheet. Refrigerate until firm.


I later cut the sticks because they were much too long and looked pretty dumb. Don't you love how "straight" they are? This is why I prefer dowels!

I only had 4 Fuji apples, so I poured the leftover caramel into a bowl and used it as a dip. Super yummy!

Cookies and Cream Chocolate Fudge

COOKIES AND CREAM FUDGE

This stuff is really good. I found the recipe here.

COOKIES & CREAM CHOCOLATE FUDGE

1 pkg. (8 squares) Baker's semi-sweet chocolate
1 can (300 mL) sweetened condensed milk
2 tsp. vanilla
10 Oreo cookies, chopped (strain out crumbs)

Line an 8x8 pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over the sides.

Microwave chocolate and sweetened condensed milk in large microwaveable bowl on MEDIUM for 2-3 minutes or until chocolate is almost melted, stirring after each minute. Stir in chopped cookies. Spread in pan.

Refrigerate 2 hours or until firm. Use foil handles to lift fudge from pan before cutting into 1-inch squares. Store between wax paper in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.

Microwave Oven Peanut Brittle

MICROWAVE OVEN PEANUT BRITTLE

You will find the recipe here.

Cranberry-Kissed Cookie Bark

CRANBERRY-KISSED COOKIE BARK

You can find the recipe here.