Grandpa Leavitt's Fudge

Just posted my Christmas fudge recipe over at my other blog...check it out here.

Here's a little peek at the rich, creamy, yumminess!  ; )

Hope you are all having a wonderful Christmas season!  I'll be back here on Monday with another Meatless Monday!  Have a great weekend.

April Fool's Cupcakes

I am not much for practical jokes (unlike my hubby who sported a "black" eye all day and told everyone he had been in a fight with another teacher!  ; )

But when I saw the fun cupcakes over at Our Best Bites... I knew my kids would love them.  They were super easy and so fun.

It is just piped on frosting (colored slightly yellow) with a Ferrero Rocher and raspberry jam warmed up a tiny bit to make it runny.  My little boy thought these were hilarious.

 

They were supposed to have shaved Almond Bark on the top (like Parmesan cheese), but I forgot to pick some up at the store.

Cinnamon Caramel Corn with Pecans

Well, since I didn't have a Meatless Monday this week, I thought I would post this amazing popcorn that I stumbled across about a year ago.  (It is from Our Best Bites.)It is my favorite popcorn treat!  It has so many wonderful flavors and is always a huge hit at the girls' get-aways that I've made it for.  I have never just made it for my family, because then I would eat half the bowl and gain 5 pounds! ;  )

Here's what you need:

12 c. popped popcorn (I have always used more like 16 cups...as a rough estimate)
1 c. pecan halves, roughly chopped
1 c. brown sugar
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 c. Karo syrup
1 stick butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. baking soda

3-4 squares Almond bark

Stir popcorn and pecans together in LARGE bowl.  In a microwave-safe bowl, mix together sugar, cinnamon, karo, and butter.  Microwave for 90 seconds, stirring every 30 seconds.  Add vanilla and baking soda and stir.  Combine with popcorn and stir to coat.  Spread on baking sheet and bake at 250* for 30 minutes, stirring half way through.  Allow to completely cool and then drizzle with melted almond bark.  Cool until hardened. Then eat your heart out! ; )

Banana Cake

For a cake, this is actually pretty healthy.  This is a recipe that I've had for years, but now I decided to try it out with my black bean substitute for the fat.  I wasn't sure how it would work, because this recipe calls for butter, not oil like the other ones I've tried so far.

But it was AMAZING!!  I have never had this cake be so moist.  It was melt-in-your mouth good and I used 100% whole wheat flour, black bean puree for 1/2 the butter, and only 2/3 of the sugar it called for!

I was so happy with how it turned out!

Valentines Day Cookies

Just wanted to show you why I need to STOP BAKING!

This is what I always make for Valentines Day.  A whole batch only makes 16.  And they take a lot of time, but I LOVE THEM.  And have NEVER tasted a cookie as delicious as these!

 

They are layered sugar cookies with raspberry jam in the middle, frosting on the top, and drizzled chocolate all over!  Oh...so very good.  You have to make them and then let them sit in an airtight container for at least 4 hours.  They become so soft and yummy!

The top cookies have a small heart cut out of the middle so you can see the jam.

These are the softest, yummiest sugar cookie I have ever tasted.  The recipe is just out of my Betty Crocker cookbook.  The dough is the smoothest dough ever because it only has powdered sugar...not granulated.

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 cup butter, softened

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. almond extract

1 egg

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cream of tartar

Mix powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, almond extract, and egg. Stir in remaining ingredients.  Cover and refrigerate at least 2-3 hours.  

Roll out and cut.  Use a small heart cookie cutter on half of your cookies to make the "tops".  Bake for 7-8 minutes at 375*.  Let cool.  Frost the "cut-out" hearts with pink frosting, spread raspberry jam on the whole hearts.  Then layer, drizzle with melted chocolate, and store in an AIRTIGHT container overnight.  These are AMAZING.  The flavors just melt together!

I'm linking this to the CSI Project:

Healthy(er) Cake Mix Cookies

You've got to try this!!  They are incredibly yummy and it's so great that you skip the cube of butter!

 

One chocolate cake mix

1 egg

1/2 cup black bean puree**

about 2 T water

Mix together and bake at 350* for 9-10 minutes.  It is quite sticky, so mine turn out like drop cookies.  We made these this weekend and put mint frosting between two of them to make homemade mint oreos.  Man, they were delicious!

**To make the black bean puree you can simply blend up one UNDRAINED can of plain black beans.  I hate the thick slimy liquid they are packed in, so I drain and rinse mine out and then refill the can with water before blending.   I PROMISE you cannot even taste a hint of the beans and it makes them SO moist.  They end up very brownie-like. 

I have also made a chocolate zucchini cake and pumpkin bread using the black bean puree instead of oil.  They were both incredibly moist and probably the best tasting I've ever made of those recipes.

I'll post both of those recipes soon!

I LOVE that you are replacing all of that fat AND adding protein at the same time!

Fresh Peach Pie

Make and bake one pie crust. (I have been making my crusts with 1/2 whole wheat flour and they are so much more flavorful than all white...try it!)

Peel and slice enough peaches to fill pie crust. (I normally make the sauce first and then slice up the peaches while I am cooling the sauce.)

To make sauce: Blend enough peaches for 1 cup puree. Add one cup water. Place in saucepan over medium heat. Combine in small bowl: 2/3 cup sugar and 4 T. cornstarch. Stir into puree and add 1/8 tsp. cinnamon and 1/4-1/2 tsp. almond extract (to taste). Cook, stirring, until thickened. Remove from heat and let cool.

Stir cooled sauce into sliced peaches and fill pie crust. Refrigerate up to 4 hours to let it set. ( I often serve it immediately...it just falls apart a little bit, but still tastes like HEAVEN!)


Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipping cream flavored with a few drops of almond extract. Or just eat it plain...it is seriously, hands-down, my FAVORITE pie in the world. The only problem with it is this: It tastes just like a fresh, healthy peach...so I can't stop eating it!

Yummy Fudge Sauce

I just thought I would share this delicious fudge sauce recipe that I found online at www.bigredkitchen.com.

I needed to send some ice cream topping with my daughter to a party and I didn't have any baking chocolate or chocolate chips. So I searched until I found one that only called for cocoa. This was SUPER yummy and very easy. Try it out with your next half-gallon of ice cream!


Peanut Butter Fudge Sauce
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup cocoa
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup peanut butter (creamy or chunky...your preference!)
1 - 12 ounce can evaporated milk
1/4 t. salt
1/4 cup butter
1 t. vanilla

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, mix all of the ingredients, except vanilla. Stirring continuously, bring mixture to a gentle boil. Stir until smooth and thickened. About 10-15 minutes. Do not burn, do not stop stirring. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Pour into a quart jar. Cool and place in refrigerator until ready to serve. To serve spoon out a small portion into a microwave safe bowl, cover and heat on HALF POWER in microwave in 20 second increments until warm. Makes one quart.