Peppermint Fudge

This fudge recipe is from Martha Stewart.  I heart her.  It's so easy! I added peppermint to make it more "Christmas-y".

Peppermint Fudge


Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. salt
4 Tablespoons butter
1 cup heavy cream
3 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
3 cups semisweet or white chocolate chips
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. peppermint extract (increase if you want more flavor)
Crushed candy canes

Directions:
Line a 9x13 pan with wax paper in a crisscross pattern (One lengthwise, two crosswise) and spray with Pam OR spray the inside of cupcake cups with Pam.
In a medium sized saucepan, cook sugar, salt, butter, cream and marshmallows for a few minutes over medium heat, continually stirring, until the marshmallows are almost melted.  Then bring to a boil for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat. Add in chocolate chips, vanilla, and peppermint extract.  Stir until chocolate chips are melted.  Pour into lined pan or paper cups.

Let fudge cool at room temperature for 3 hours.  Add crushed candy canes to the top once it becomes hard (1 - 1 1/2 hours).  Use paper edges to remove fudge from pan.  You can cut into squares or use cookie cutters.

Enjoy!

Treats, treats, treats

This past week I made some treats for the volunteers at my church who so graciously devote their Sundays at church.  I didn't anticipate how much time it would actually take me to do all of it and after it was all said and done it was well worth it!

Gingerbread Men - From the Food Network, but I doubled the spices :)

1 1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup brown packed brown sugar
2/3 cup molasses
1 egg
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. ground allspice
1 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
3 cups flour
Cookie Cutters

Directions:
Beat butter and brown sugar together.  Add in molases and egg until well blended.  Add pepper, salt, baking soda, cloves, allspice, ginger, cinnamon and four, and beat until mixed.  The dough will be thick!

Divide the dough into 2 sections, flatten into a disk on plastic wrap, and wrap and refidgerate 2-3 hours (but no more than 3!)

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Remove dough from fridge and let stand for about 20 minutes.
Roll out a section of the dough onto a floured work surface (I used wax paper) until the desired thickness is reached (I did mine to about 1/4 inch).  Dip your cookie cutter into flour and go for it! Bake for 5 minutes, then turn 180 degrees, and bake for another 3-5 minutes depending on how thick you made them.  Let them cool for a minute then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Enjoy!

Gingersnaps

My grandma gave me a cookbook a couple of years back.  It's called 'Feeding the Flock: Turpin Mennonite Church 100th Anniversary'.  I'm not sure where she got it from (although she is from Oklahoma) but I would of never known that this cookbook she ordered for me would turn out some of my most popular cookies.

Soft & Chewy Gingersnaps 

1 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 T. ginger
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking soda
2 cups flour
Sugar (for coating)

Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Beat sugar and butter together until smooth.  Add egg and mix until just blended.  Add molasses until blended.  Add in cinnamon, ginger, salt, baking soda, and flour.  Beat until well blended, making sure to scrape in the sides of the bowl.
Roll into small balls and roll in sugar.  Bake for 5 minutes, turn 180 degrees and bake another 3 minutes. Allow to cool for a minute or two before transferring to a wire wrack to cool.

Enjoy!

Persimmon Cookies

At 10 PM last night, my hubby asked me to make him some Persimmon Chocolate Chip Cookies.  How could I refuse? I've never made them before, and I was nervous, but I think they turned out good!

Persimmon Cookies 

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (optional)
1 cup Persimmon pulp
2 cups flour
1 handful of chocolate chips (optional)

Directions:
Preheat over to 350 degrees.
Beat sugar and butter together until smooth.  Add in eggs, one at a time, and beat in until just blended.
Add in cinnamon, salt, baking soda, cloves, pumpkin pie spice (optional) and flour.  Gradually add in persimmon pulp while mixing flour and spices.  Beat until well blended.  Stir in a handful of chocolate chips.

Drop by rounded spoonful onto greased baking sheet.  Bake for 5 minutes, then turn 180 degrees and bake another 3 minutes.  Allow to cool for a minute or two before transferring to wire rack or wax paper to cool.

Enjoy!

Sweet Pancakes

Last night, my hubby and I decided to have breakfast for dinner :) And I must give him credit here, because these pancakes were his idea, and they actually turned out good!

Sweet Pancakes


Pancake mix as directed
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Mix powdered sugar into pancake batter.  Cook pancakes as directed on box.  Top with butter and syrup :)
Enjoy!

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice

I thought I would start of my blog with a new cookie recipe I made last night for my friends.  I was going to make Apple Butterscotch cookies, but then decided to twist it up a little bit and I ended up with my very own creation.  Enjoy!

Cinnamon Spice Apple Cookies
Ingredients:
10 Tablespoons butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 1/2 cups flower
1 1/2 cups grated apple
1/2 cup butterscotch chips
1 cup cinnamon chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In mixer, beat butter, brown sugar, and sugar until smooth. Add egg.
Combine cinnamon, ground cloves, baking soda, salt and flour in a separate bowl and add alternately with grated apple. Stir in butterscotch and cinnamon chips by hand.

Drop by rounded spoonful onto greased baking sheet.  Bake for 5 minutes and turn pan 180 degrees.  Bake an additional 5 minutes.  Remove from oven, and let cool on cookie sheet for a few minutes.  Transfer to cooling rack and allow to cool for 10 minutes.  Enjoy!