Homemade Microwave Caramels (Unsalted/Salted)

Adapted from Six SistersHomemade Microwave Caramels Recipe:

(Makes 12-15 caramels)

Ingredients:1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

Directions:Combine all ingredients in a microwaveable safe bowl until smooth.  Cook for 6 minutes in your microwave, removing and stirring every two minutes.  When caramel is done cooking, pour into a 9x13" pan sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.  Optional: Sprinkle sea salt across the top. Let cool completely.  Cut into pieces and roll up in wax paper.

*Note: Can use for pretzel rods. Make as directed, let cool slightly in pan. Pull it a chunk at a time and wrap around pretzel rod. Let it set up on the rod for several hours/overnight. After it's set, re-wrap around rod a little and then dip in melted chocolate and add desired toppings. 

Candy Cane Fudge

Ingredients

1/2 cup  whipping cream 

1/2 cup light corn syrup

3 cups real semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

1 cup crushed Mystik Starlite Mints (soft mint candy, comes in a bag like chocolate chips, have to get at Aldis) **Can also use soft candy canes, crushed up.

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

 

Instructions

 

Line 8 inch glass baking pan with aluminum foil, extending edges over sides of pan.

Bring cream and corn syrup to a boil in a 2 qt saucepan over medium heat. Boil for one minute

remove from heat  add chocolate chips::  Stir constantly till chips are melted.  Stir in powdered sugar, mints, and vanilla.  Pour into prepared pan and spread mixture into corners.  Cover. Refrigerate 2 hrs or until firm.

Lift fudge out of pan using foil.  Remove foil. Cut into 1 inch squares Store in airtight containers.

 

Makes about 2 lbs  (64 pieces)

Caramel Popcorn

This is the really good stuff. It's crunchy not sticky or chewy. I begged for this recipe after getting a bag of this for Christmas. I'm totally making it for neighbors.

Crunchy Caramel Popcorn

Pop 5 Quarts popcorn

In saucepan:

1 Cup Butter

2 Cups Brown sugar

½ C light corn syrup

1 tsp salt

-Bring to boil on medium heat, boil for 5 minutes without stirring. Remove from heat and add:

1 tsp vanilla

½ tsp baking soda

-Stir together, it will foam up. Pour over popcorn and coat well. Pour into two large cake pans, sprayed with Pam.

-Put in 250 degree oven for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread out on wax paper to cool.

Banana Cream Pie

This is Steve's favorite pie so I've tried tons of different recipes. This is his and my favorite version. And it's one of the easier ones... so bonus!

1 Graham cracker crust
1 Egg White, Whipped
1 Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix (5.9 oz)
2 1/2 c. Milk
1 tsp Banana extract
2 c. Heavy Whipping Cream*
3/4 c. powdered sugar
1-2 Bananas sliced

-Brush the egg white onto the crust and bake at 375 for 10 minutes, cool and set aside.
-Mix the milk and pudding in a large bowl, set aside.
-Beat the Whipping cream, sugar and extract together until stiff peaks form.
-Fold half the whipped cream into the pudding mixture and sliced bananas.
-Put pudding mixture in pie crust, top with the rest of the whipped cream and chill until ready to serve.

There is usually too much filling for an 8 inch crust so I just put it in some mugs for a treat later.

*When I don't have heavy whipping cream I use Dream Whip and get a very similar outcome.

Buttery Soft Pretzels

Jenny Made these for Ella's Carnival birthday party and they were SO yummy!                      From allrecipes.com

12 Servings, Prep Time: 2 Hours , Cook Time: 10 Minutes

Ingredients

• 4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 1/4 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup baking soda
• 4 cups hot water
• 1/4 cup kosher salt, for topping

Directions

1. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, mix together flour, 1/2 cup sugar, and salt. Make a well in the center; add the oil and yeast mixture. Mix and form into a dough. If the mixture is dry, add one or two tablespoons of water. Knead the dough until smooth, about 7 to 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
3. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). In a large bowl, dissolve baking soda in hot water.
4. When risen, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rope and twist into a pretzel shape. Once all of the dough is all shaped, dip each pretzel into the baking soda solution and place on a greased baking sheet. Sprinkle with kosher salt.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 8 minutes, until browned.

BBQ Chicken Sliders

Add chicken
Cooked in broth in crock pot on low about 7 hours.

Shred.

Dump in BBQ sauce and cook another hour.

Easy Mac'n Cheese

Half block of Velvetta Cheese
8 oz. whipping cream

Melt on stove top.

Pour over cooked macaroni noodles (1 lb).

YUMO!

Cranberry Fluff Salad

adapted from The Lion House Cookbook

Ingredients:
2 cups raw cranberries
zest of 1/2 orange
1/2 cup granulated sugar (I used evaporated cane juice)
3 cups mini marshmallows
2-3 small Granny Smith apples, diced
1/2 cup chopped pecans, walnuts, or almonds
1 cup heavy cream, whipped
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions:
Place the cranberries and orange zest in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Pulse until finely chopped. Transfer to a bowl and add the sugar. Let stand for a few minutes and add the marshmallows. Cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight. Stir in the apples and nuts. Fold in the whipped cream and vanilla extract. Chill until ready to serve.

Makes enough for 6-8 servings.

Boston Market Copycat Sweet Potato Casserole

serves 12

Sweet Potatoes
3 ½ - 4 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1” pieces
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
½ cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Topping
2 cups marshmallows
½ cup flour
4 tablespoons butter unsalted butter
6 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
¼ cup old fashioned rolled oats
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Fill a large pot with sweet potato pieces and water.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Cook until fork tender.  Drain potatoes and place back into pot.  Mash potatoes with a potato masher or blend with an electric mixer, until mostly smooth.  Add remaining ingredients (except topping ingredients).  Mix until combined.

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Grease an 8”x10” casserole dish (8x8 or 9x9 works too). 

Spoon sweet potatoes into casserole dish and smooth out.  Sprinkle top of sweet potatoes with marshmallows.

Melt butter in a medium microwave safe bowl.  Add remaining ingredients.  Mix with a fork.  Sprinkle over top of casserole.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until streusel is crisp and marshmallows are golden brown.

Serve and enjoy!

No-Bake Deep-Dish Peanut Butter Snickers Pie with Salted Caramel

YIELD: 1 9-inch springform pan, 10+ very generous pieces

 

PREP TIME: 20 minutes

 

COOK TIME: 0 minutes

 

TOTAL TIME: 3+ hours, for chilling and setting up

INGREDIENTS:

Crust
20-ounce package chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed to fine crumbs (I used chocolate-filled Trader Joe's version of Oreos - 43 cookies in the package; classic Oreos or another chocolate sandwich cookie may be used)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (3/4 of 1 stick)

Filling and Topping
8 ounces cream cheese, softened (I used Trader Joe's spreadable light cream cheese; reduced fat or full-fat cream cheese may be used)
8 ounces Cool Whip, at room temperature (I used Fat Free Cool Whip; reduced fat or full-fat whipped topping may be used)
heaping 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter or honey roasted peanut butter (use Jif, Skippy or similar; do not use natural or homemade because it can separate)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
about 1 cup Snickers, diced small (I used Peanut Butter Squared Snickers; or use your favorite candy)

 Recipes

about 1/4 cup salted caramel sauce, for drizzling (I used Trader Joe's; use your favorite brand or make Homemade Caramel Sauce)

 

Watch to how to make a Pecan Pie

 

DIRECTIONS:

1. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray; set aside. If you don't have one, a 9-inch square pan would likely work, although I have not tested it. Do not use a 9-inch traditional pie dish because it will be too shallow.
2. Crush cookies by placing them in a food processor and processing until they're a fine dust, noting that the filling may melt a bit which is okay. Using a Vita-Mix is not ideal because it will melt the cookies before it will crush them, and you will have to work in batches, tamping down frequently. Crushing cookies in a large Ziplock and rolling over it with a rolling pin may work, provided you take your time and make sure the cookies are broken down into a fine dust. Set crumbs aside.
3. In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter, about 1 minute on high power.
4. Add the cookie crumbs to the butter, and stir to combine. Mixture will be thick, slugdy, and fudgy.
5. Turn mixture out into prepared pan, pressing it down firmly with a spatula and smoothing the top so that crust it flat and even; set pan aside.
6. Filling and Topping - In a large mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, Cool Whip, peanut butter, vanilla and beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes on medium-high speed. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl. This is a recipe I found it easier to use my handheld mixer than stand mixer.
7. Add confectioners' sugar slowly and mix to incorporate, making sure to start mixing on low speed so sugar doesn't fly everywhere. Beat until smooth and combined, about 2 minutes on medium-high speed.
8. Turn mixture out onto prepared crust, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula.
9. Evenly sprinkle with diced Snickers. I used a generous 1 cup; use more or less depending on how thick you want the candy layer.
10. Evenly drizzle with caramel sauce; just eyeball it. Use more or less depending on how thick you want the caramel.
11. Cover pan with clingwrap or foil to prevent freezer smells, and place pan in freezer for at least 3 hours to set up before slicing, or overnight. I made pie 3 days before slicing it. Recipe can be made well in advance of an event, about 1 week or so, if desired.
12. When ready to serve, allow pie to come to room temperature for about 15 minutes. Carefully remove springform ring, and slice. The pie slices easily after about 15 minutes at room temp.  The filling doesn't really freeze solid and doesn't get as hard as ice cream does. Pie will keep covered in freezer for about 2 months or in the refrigerator for about 10 days. I store in the freezer because of the longer shelf life and prefer this pie well-chilled.

Recipe from Averiecooks.com 

Pie Crust

FLAKEY PIE CRUST (makes a top and bottom)

Ingredients:

- 3/4 cup shortening

- 1/4 cup boiling water

- 1 Tbls milk

- 2 scant cups flour

- 1 tsp salt

Pour boiling water over shorting and whip with a fork until fluffy and incorporated. Add milk, salt & flour until moist. Roll between two pieces of wax paper. Fill and bake.

(I usually cook 425 degrees for 30 minutes)

OLIVE GARDEN SALAD DRESSING

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons grated Romano cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt, or 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Sugar (optional)

Instructions

Combine all the ingredients in a blender until well mixed. If this is a little too tart for your own personal taste, add a little extra sugar. You can enjoy your Olive Garden salad dressing for up to 10 days if you store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Coconut Cream Fruit Dip

I had this dip the other day and it is DIVINE!! You are sure to feel like your on a beach when you eat it!

Just wanted to share:)

Coconut Cream Fruit Dip

 

4 oz. cream cheese

15 oz. cream of coconut (not coconut milk, find it by the margarita mix)

8 oz. Cool Whip

Whip cream cheese and cream of coconut in blender until smooth.

Fold in whip cream.

Serve with fruit or graham crackers.

 

*I actually used a 8 oz of cream cheese on accident and it's still delicious!

{Jenny}

Oatmeal-whatever-Cookies

3/4 cup butter (half butter half peanut butter)
1 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 c sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 tbsp flaxseed meal (optional)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 c flour
2 c rolled oats
Chocolate chips
Butterscotch chips (optional) OR any other kind of chip or nut, whatever you like.


Beat everything together, in order. Drop 2 Tbsp and squish down on pan a little. Preheat 375, cook 8-10 mins. Don't over bake or they'll be hard, undercook them just a tiny bit and they're soft and delicious!

Salted Chocolate Caramel Rice Crispy Treats

These are Yuh-mmy! But pretty sweet and rich. Maybe start with half the gauche topping, it was a little too thick on ours. 

Yield: 16 large squares or 32 rectangles

Caramel:

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons water

2 1/2 tablespoons butter, softened

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/8 teaspoon salt

Rice Cereal Treat:

1 (10 oz) bag marshmallows

2 tablespoons butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

6 cups Rice Cereal

Chocolate Gauche:

2 cups chocolate chips

3/4 cup heavy cream

Salt to top

Directions

1. Grease a 9X13 pan.

2. Caramel: In a small sauce pan, combine sugar and water.

3. Place on medium-high heat and do not stir.

4. On another burner, heat heavy cream. You don't want to boil it, just make it so it's not cold.

5. Watch the sugar solution until the outer edges start to turn amber. Take off heat and WHISK!

7. Add butter and continue whisking. When that is fully combined, add warm cream, salt and whisk! Set aside and relax, the hard part is over.

8. Rice Cereal Treat: In the microwave on the stove top, melt marshmallows, butter and vanilla. Stir until smooth and add caramel sauce.

9. Stir in Rice Cereal until well combined and dump into your prepared pan. Flatten using a buttered spatula or your buttered fingers.

10. Chocolate Gauche: Place chocolate in heat-proof bowl and set aside. Heat cream until it is just about to boil, pour over chocolate and whisk until smooth.

11. Let the gauche cool for a few minutes. Then, pour chocolate over your rice cereal layer and shake pan gently to distribute evenly. Let set for a few minutes, then sprinkle with coarse salt.

12. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to set. Cut and serve!

Note: When sprinkling with salt, use caution. 

Peanut Butter Popcorn

-1/4 cup honey

-1/2 cup peanut butter-2 quarts popped corn

Bring to boil 1/4 cup of honey, let boil one full minute after honey comes to rolling boil.  Take off heat and add 1/2 cup peanut butter.  Stir, then pour over 2 quarts popcorn, stirring until cool.  May use crunchy or plain peanut butter. 

White Chocolate Popcorn

-1/2 cup kernels for a popcorn maker OR 1 bag buttered microwave popcorn

-1 bag white chocolate chips

Pop popcorn. Line a large baking sheet with parchment/wax paper and set aside. Place popcorn (and any other mix-ins) in large bowl and set aside. Melt white chocolate chips in microwave for 30 seconds intervals and stir in between, until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Pour melted chocolate over popcorn and gently combine. Spread onto baking sheet until harden.

Fun mix-ins: nuts, m&m's, sprinkles, etc.

Microwave Caramel Popcorn

4 quarts popped popcorn

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter/margarine

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp baking soda

Place the popped popcorn into a large brown paper bag. Set aside.

In a 2 quart casserole dish, or other heat-proof dish, combine the brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, salt and vanilla. Heat for 3 minutes in the microwave. Stir until well blended. Return to microwave cook for 1 1/2 minutes. Remove and stir in baking soda.

Pour syrup over the popcorn in the bag. Roll down the top to close the bag and shake to coat the corn. Place bag into microwave and cook for 1 minute and 10 seconds. Remove, shake, flip the bag over and return to microwave. Cook for another 1 minute and 10 seconds. Dump the popcorn out onto waxed paper and let cool until coating is set. Store in an airtight container.

Almond Joy Popcorn

This is DELICIOUS!

If you're popping your own, do 1/2 C kernels. toss popped popcorn in 3 T butter, sprinkle with popcorn salt. Otherwise use one bag of buttered microwave popcorn.

4-6 oz. milk chocolate chips

up to 1/4 C vegetable oil (optional)

1/3 C sweetened, shredded coconut

1/3 C sliced almonds

Spread the popcorn over a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or lightly greased. Melt chocolate in plastic bowl, not glass, in the microwave.  Heat for approximately 3 minutes (microwaves vary), stirring every 30 seconds.  If the chocolate isn't runny enough, add a little vegetable oil and heat for an additional 20 sec until it's runny enough to drip off the spoon.  Drizzle chocolate over popcorn, then sprinkle coconut and almonds on top. Leave out on the counter to set.  

Go-To Fondue

We recently had an RS activity on FHE. I'm going to post a bunch of the desserts/treat recipes that we sent home with everyone!

-1 cup milk chocolate chips

-2-3 Tbsp. whipping cream

-spoonful of creamy or chunky peanut butter (optional)

Microwave for 30 seconds, stirring in between to prevent burning. Stir until smooth.

Dip bananas, strawberries, graham  crackers, pretzels, big marshmallows, rice crispie treats, etc.