Peanut Butter Fudge

 Today I am patting myself on the back as I am feeling quite accomplished.  Not only did I order my Christmas cards from Shutterfly but I also made my first batch of holiday fudge - both before Thanksgiving has even arrived. Now I just need to shop for all my gifts, wrap the gifts, address and send out my Christmas card, bake up a storm, decorate the house inside and out and pray that everything goes smoothly.  After all that I will REALLY feel accomplished! 

 

Speaking of accomplishments I have to say that April Turell is quite an accomplishment in many, many facets of her life.  Not only is she the owner and creator of the wonderful food blog named, Angels Homestead (my Secret Recipe Club assignment for this past month of November), she is also a lovely wife, a mother to 5 children and mamaw (grandmother) to 2 grandchildren along with one of the original owners of the Secret Recipe Club! I was honored and delighted to have been assigned to April's blog.  I discovered delicious recipes along with fantastic household hints (who knew you can actually make your very own disinfecting wipes).  Most importantly I came upon a recipe for Peanut Butter Fudge. 

 Creamy, simple, rich and yes, delicious Peanut Butter Fudge.  So good!  I whipped up a batch and made everyone in my household test taste it.  Umm they all kinda LOVED it!  But before it disappeared completely I wrapped some up to hand out as a homemade, made from the heart gift.  I plan on giving fudge to those that I adore.  You should too! - and I have just the right recipe for you to use....just follow the directions below. :-)

Peanut Butter Fudge 

(recipe found on Angels Homestead)

Ingredients - 

2 sticks salted butter

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 cups powdered sugar 

Directions - 

1. Place butter and peanut butter in a large microwave proof bowl.  Heat for 1 minute microwave and then stir.  Continue to microwave in 30 second intervals - stirring after each 30 seconds until completely melted. 

2. Add in vanilla extract and powdered sugar - one cup at a time, stirring well in between each cup of sugar.  

3. Once the mixture is completely smooth pour into an 8x8 square pan that has been lined with buttered tin foil or parchment paper.  Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and then cut into bit size squares.  Enjoy! 

Happy Peanut Butter Fudge Making!

An InLinkz Link-up

Homemade Chocolate Sauce

Valentine's Day is just around the corner. I suggest you make this recipe for chocolate sauce for EVERYONE that you adore, love and cherish (and that likes chocolate of course).  It is a simple recipe that is just divine.  You can eat it by the spoonful or warm it gently and pour over ice cream.  It is the perfect gift for Heart Day! 

The recipe makes enough sauce to fill two 8 oz. jars + one 6 oz. jar.  I especially like filling empty Bonne Maman jam jars with the sauce because of the pretty red and white lids which make for a very attractive decadent gift.  I filled 12 Bonne Maman jars with chocolate sauce and gave them away to anyone that would accept them (no one turned them down) this past Christmas.  I'm pretty proud of myself.

Unfortunately, with all the hustle and bustle of the holidays I have lost the original source for this recipe.  If it is your recipe please let me know!  I want to give you a huge hug for such a yummy creation.  I also want to commend you for the brilliance of making the recipe without corn syrup.  For years I have been searching for a chocolate sauce recipe that is yummy, easy and doesn't contain corn syrup in the ingredient list.  My search has finally come to end with the discovery of this recipe.  Hip Hip HOORAY!!!   Hopefully I will be able to provide many of you with the same yummy happiness as I share this recipe now on my blog.

Homemade Chocolate Sauce

 Ingredients:

5 oz. unsweetened chocolate

1 stick butter, unsalted

1 14 oz. can evaporated milk

3 cups powdered sugar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. In a double boiler melt chocolate and butter. Stirring gently on occasion to help with the melting process.

2. Remove double boiler from heat and add evaporated milk and then powdered sugar - whisk all together.  Place pan back on heat and gently continue to whisk all ingredients together until smooth and shiny. 

3. Keep sauce over heat for 5-7 minutes stirring occasionally until sauce starts to thicken (sauce will thicken much more when it becomes cold).  Remove from heat and add vanilla extract.  Pour into jars and cool slightly before covering and storing in refrigerator until you gift away or eat your Heavenly chocolate sauce yourself.

Heat uncovered jar of sauce in microwave for 20-25 seconds, stir and serve. 

Enjoy!

Happy Homemade Chocolate Sauce Making!



A Wonderful Winter Bread

About 2 weeks ago I started this post.  I had a couple finishing touches that I wanted to do before I posted it and told myself that the next morning I would do so and then push the lovely "publish post" button so that I could share this yummy bread recipe with all of you.  Well, something very special happened before I could do those last minute touches to this post....my water broke at 1:20 in the a.m. and I went into labor.  About 3 1/2 hours later I gave birth to beautiful Colette.  Here she is all snuggled up on my sister....

Needless to say I wasn't able to sit down at my computer the next morning and complete the last touches to this post!  I am slowly getting back on my feet and finding a rhythm to my day that involves a couple more things other than nursing, changing diapers and caring for little Coco and Jolie.  Please don't give up on my blogging as I have every intention to get back into a regular routine of doing so. To all of my food blog friends I miss checking you out on a daily basis! - I feel like I have so much to catch up on. :-)

In the mean time here is my blog post that I started a few weeks back....it's kind of fun to read that I was still pregnant with Colette when I originally wrote this post. :-)

**********************

Yes, I have yet to have my baby (as of 9pm on 1/11/11).  We are all waiting patiently.  Every day I wake up and wonder, will this be the day?!? And then in an effort to keep busy I tacile one more project in preparation for the baby's arrival.  I also find something wonderful to bake or cook  just to keep busy and active.  Needless to say my queue for blogging recipes is FULL!  - this is a good thing for I have a feeling that once the baby arrives my flexibility and time will be taken up by the tiny Bambino.  Can't wait!!!

Last week I was blessed to have a day with my mom.  I had been wanting to make bread and had found a wonderful recipe in a small Taste of Home magazine that I had picked up at the super market earlier this year.  In this little magazine I found a recipe for Swirled Pumpkin Yeast Bread.  A hearty bread cock full of delicious flavor and color from the pumpkin puree and plump raisins mixed into this lovely bread.  My family ate the bread toasted with butter or peanut butter.  I also made a lovely french toast with slices of this bread dipped in a mixture of egg, milk, vanilla and ground cinnamon.  Super yum bread with so many possibilities.

I do have to say that one of the hardest parts of making this bread was the kneading process.  Thankfully my mom was with me and was able to put her strength and non-pregnant body into helping with this part.  Because she is a little bitty of a woman my mom had to gain some height for extra strength so she kneeled on a stool to really get "on top" of the bread....

At one point she had to really put her body into the kneading and she actually stood up from a kneeling position on the stool to a standing position.  Mothers are so great!  Here is an "action" shot of her kneading....

Swirled Pumpkin Yeast Bread

(recipe from Taste of Home)

Recipe makes 2 loaves of bread

Bread Ingredients:

4 1/2 - 5 cups AP flour

3 cups whole wheat flour (I used WHITE whole wheat flour)

2 cups oats (I used regular although quick-cooking was recommended)

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

2 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

2 packages (1/4 oz each) active dry yeast

1 1/2 cups warm water (120 - 130 degrees)

1 cup pumpkin puree

1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/3 cup canola oil

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 heaping cup raisins

Filling Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Bread Directions:

1. In a large bowl combine 2 cups AP flour, (white) whole wheat flour, oats, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice,  salt,  sugar and yeast.  Add in warm water, pumpkin puree, applesauce and oil - mix until just moistened.

2. Add in eggs and beat until smooth. 

3. Stir in remaining AP flour to form a firm dough then add in raisins.

4. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic - about 6-8 minutes.  Place dough in a greased bowl, turning once to grease all of the dough...

  Cover dough and let rise in a warm place until doubled - about an hour...

5. Punch dough down.  Turn onto a lightly floured surface, cut in half....

  Roll each portion into an 18"x9" rectangle.   Brush each dough rectangle with softened butter within 1/2" of the edges....

  Combine brown sugar and cinnamon and then sprinkle over buttered dough.  Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a short side.....

  Pinch seams to seal.

6. Place each dough roll seam side down in two greased 9"x5" loaf pans. Cover pans and let rise until doubled - about 30-45 minutes....

  I buttered my risen breads just before I popped them into the oven....just an added touch on my part.

7. Bake breads in a preheated 350 degrees F. oven for 55-65 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.  

Slice and enjoy as you please!

Happy Swirled Pumpkin Yeast Bread Baking!

TWO Last Minute HOMEMADE Yummy Gifts

How are your holiday preparations coming along?  Have you finished all your shopping, wrapped all your presents, sent out your cards and started to bake and cook for your holiday meals?  Goodness, that all sounds sounds overwhelming!!!  I may have about 1/2 of the above finished....one project at a time is all I can continue to say to myself  in an effort to keep my stress level down.  So in light of reducing stress I am here to offer you TWO simple and scrumptious recipes for HOMEMADE food gifts.  You are going to LOVE them!

I am going to start with a fabulous fudge recipe (a rich, smooth and decadent treat)...

 and then I will follow it up with a colorful and sweet popcorn treat (coated with white chocolate and studded with M n M's and Honey Roasted peanuts)....

Get your napkins ready....you will be drooling over both recipes I can tell you that. :-)

Nutella Fudge

(recipe from Let's Dish - also found on Cookin' Canuck)

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp butter - for buttering pan

1 (14oz) can sweetened condensed milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

8 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup Nutella - at room temperature

3 Tbsp unsalted butter - at room temperature, cut into 1/2" pieces

sprinkles or sparkled sugar (optional)

Directions:

1. Grease the bottom and sides of an 8x8 square baking pan with 1 Tbsp of butter.  Line pan with parchment paper...make sure 2" of overlap exist on the sides of pan from the parchment paper.

2. In a medium heat proof bowl combine sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract, chocolate chips, Nutella and 3 Tbsp butter....

3. Set heat proof bowl over a simmering pan of water.  Make sure simmering water does not touch bottom of heat proof bowl - this will cause the chocolate mixture to burn if not watched carefully. 

4. Stir mixture occasionally until chocolate chips  are melted fully and the whole mixture is smooth.  This takes about 5-7 minutes....

5. Pour mixture into prepared pan.  Spread with a spatula to smooth over the top....

 Sprinkle with sprinkles or sparkling sugar if you wish.....

  Cover and refrigerate fudge until firm - at least 2 hours if not longer.

6. Lift fudge filled parchment paper out of pan and cut into small squares.  Package as you wish and giveaway with happiness!

Happy Nutella Fudge Making!

Now onto the yummy popcorn....

White Chocolate Popcorn

(recipe discovered on Jaime Cooks it Up! -one of my very favorite blogs!)

Ingredients:

  2 bags of microwave popcorn - (I air popped my popcorn and made about 10 cups of popcorn instead of using microwave popcorn)

2 (12oz) bags of white chocolate chips

1 Tbsp shortening

1 cup Holiday M and M's

1 cup Honey Roasted peanuts

Directions:

1. Pop your popcorn - microwave or air pop - into a large bowl.  Set aside.

2. Put white chocolate in a microwave safe bowl.  Heat for 45 seconds then stir.  Continue to heat and stir every 30 seconds.  Heat chocolate slowly for you don't want to burn your chocolate by melting it too fast in the microwave.

3. Once chocolate is completely melted add in the 1 Tbsp of shortening.  Stir well to fully incorporate....

4. Slowly pour white chocolate over popcorn......

 and mix carefully.  (I poured a little over my popcorn and then stirred it through gently and then repeated until all the white chocolate was mixed into the popcorn) 

5.  Add in M and M's and peanuts....

  The peanuts and M and M's will stick nicely to the warm white chocolate popcorn as you stir them into mixture.

6. Line 2 cookie sheets with wax paper.  Divide popcorn between the two sheets and allow the chocolate to set onto popcorn (about 30 minutes).  Break popcorn into chunks and package up into pretty bags or tins.  SUPER yum!

Happy White Chocolate Popcorn Making!!!

Strawberry Bread

What could be better than Strawberry Bread (well, maybe Cherry Bread....:-)!?!?

When I came upon this recipe from the Countrygirl Cooks! blog I knew I had to make it....and I was soooo glad I did! Not only does it make a super yummy quick bread but it makes 2 (possibly even 3) loaves of bread.  One to keep and one to give away.  I love those kind of recipes.

Strawberry Bread

4 eggs

2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups canola oil

3 cups flour

3/4 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

2  (16 oz) containers of sweetened, frozen sliced strawberries in juice (thawed)

Mix in a large mixing bowl eggs, sugar and oil.  Mix until thoroughly combined (it will be a beautiful yellow mixture).

Add to above mixture the flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon.  Mix just until well combined.  The mixture will be nice and thick at this point.

Dump in both containers of strawberries (juice and all) into the mixing bowl.  Gently mix well until fully combined.

Pour into 2 (possibly 3 depending on size of pan) well greased pans. Bake at 350 degrees F for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in to the middle comes out clean. 

Allow to cool for at least 1 hour (if not more) before you remove the bread from the pan.

Happy Baking! :-)

Yummy Homemade Granola

Homemade Granola

Granola has always been an all time favorite of mine....especially the kind made by my Mother. This recipe (unfortunately) is not my Mom's but rather was from s adapted from a recipe that I found on Tasty Kitchen the member "mybakingaddiction".

Last night I made this batch of granola to bring to a friend of mine (dear Shannon) down on the Cape. We don't see eachother very often so I always like to bring her a special treat that allows our visit to be remembered and treasured a little bit longer after we leave one another.

Here is the recipe....

*5 cups Old Fashioned Oats

*3/4 c.- 1 c. Shredded Coconut (amount depends on your "coconut preference")

*3/4c. - 1 c. Chopped or Silvered Almonds (again amount depends on your preference)

*3/4 c. Packed Brown Sugar

*3 Tablespoons Canola Oil

*1/2 cup Honey

*3 Tbsp. Pure Maple Syrup (none of that fake stuff here)

*1 1/2 tsp. Cinnamon

*2 tsp. Pure Vanilla Extract (again, don't make it fake)

*1 c. Raisins

*1 c. Dried Cranberries

*1 c. Chopped Dried Apricots

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a LARGE bowl mix together oats, almonds and coconut - set this aside. In a medium saucepan, combine the brown sugar, maple syrup, honey, oil and cinnamon - bring this to a nice rolling boil. Remove from heat and add vanilla extract. Pour this sauce over the oat mixture and gently combine fully. Spread in a LARGE shallow baking pan. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes until it reaches the golden brown that you desire (I like mine darker than most....but NOT burnt!). Once cool add in raisins, dried canberries and apricots. **Store in an airtight container.

**It's always fun to find a special container (like from TJ Maxx) to deliver this special treat in. I got the glass container in a package of 3 for only $12.99 @ TJ's - such a great find!