English Toffee

Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies

                              

2/3 c butter

1 c sugar

1 egg

2 T milk

1 t vanilla

2 c flour

1/2 t baking soda

1/2 t baking powder

1/2 t salt

Cream butter; add sugar,gradually. Beat in egg,milk and vanilla. Blend in sifted dry ingredients. On a slightly floured board, roll dough to 1/4" thickness. Cut with cookie cutters. Place on lightly buttered baking sheets and bake 5-7 minutes at 400 degrees. Makes about 3 dozen. 

Hint: Best to break dough into 2 balls and chill in freezer before rolling out.

Icing

1 c powdered sugar

2 t milk

2 t corn syrup

1/4 t vanilla or almond extract

Assorted food colors, optional

Mix sugar and milk till smooth, then beat in corn syrup and extract until smooth and glossy. If too thick, add more syrup. Ice cooled cookies and add sprinkles or colored sugar if desired. Let sit till icing hardens.

Caramel Crispix

12 oz box Crispic cereal

2 c butter( 4 sticks)

2 c brown sugar, firmly packed

1/2 c light Karo syrup

1/2 t vanilla

1/2 t baking soda

Melt butter in deep,saucepan. Add brown sugar and bring to a boil. Add Karo syrup, vanilla and baking soda. Put the cereal in a very large bowl. Pour mixture over the cereal and stir until all pieces are coated. Spoon pieces out on waxed paper to cool.

Chocolate Peppermint Cake

1 devils food cake mix
1 jar Smuckers hot fudge sauce
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 t. Peppermint extract
8 oz cool whip
1 bag Andes peppermint crunch baking chips

Bake cake according to directions in 9x13 pan. While cake is baking, mix milk, fudge sauce and extract together. When cake is done and still warm, poke holes with a fork. Pour milk mixture over cake. Let cool completely. Sprinkle half the peppermint chips over cake, then spread cool whip on top. Sprinkle rest of chips on top of cool whip. Chill.

Bits and Brickle

2 c. Pretzel sticks broken in half
1 bag bits and brickle
2 c. toasted peanuts
2 bags Wilton white candy melts

Break pretzel sticks. Add peanuts and bits and brickle; mix. Melt candy melts in microwave and pour over dry ingredients. Mix until covered completely in white candy melts. Drop onto,wax paper. If mixture gets too hard to drop, just heat up in microwave and continue.

Peppermint Bark

1 pkg. almond bark
1 t. or more peppermint extract
6-8 peppermint canes, crushed

Melt almond bark in microwave according to package directions. Stir in extract. Pour onto baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper or waxed paper. Sprinkle crushed peppermints on top and let set until bark has hardened.

Easy Divinity

I have already posted a divinity recipe but I have been wanting to try this one out using Marshmallow Creme.

1 7oz. jar Marshmallow Creme

2 c. sugar

1/2 c water

1 t. vanilla

Bring sugar and water to a full boil. Cook 2 minutes. Add vanilla. Pour over marshmallow creme. Beat until cool enough to drop. Add nuts if desired. Drop on waxed paper.

Chocolate & Peanut Butter Candy

Here is another recipe I found on Pinterest. It's easy and tastes so good!

1 (24oz) Vanilla Bark

3/4 c. peanut butter

1 1/2 c semi sweet chocolate chips

In medium bow, add bark. Microwave for about 2 minutes or so,stirring half way thru cooking until bark is melted. Add peanut butter and mix well with wooden spoon, then spread onto a baking sheet that has been lined with waxed or parchment paper. In another medium bowl, microwave chocolate chips until melted approx. 1 1/2 minutes, stirring half way thru. Pour over peanut butter mixutre. With a butter knife, make swirls to combine slightly. Cool. Cut or break into pieces. Store in airtight container.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Treats

I found this recipe on Pinterest here. It's a very easy recipe and we really like them, so I made a batch for Christmas.

1 c Karo syrup

1 c sugar

2 c peanut butter

4 c Rice Krispies

48 Hershey Chocolate Kisses

In a heavy large sauce pan, bring to a boil Karo and sugar; take off the burner. Add peanut butter and quickly stir until smooth and creamy. Add Rice Krispies and stir until completely incorporated with the peanut butter mixture. Quickly spoon mixture onto waxed paper and immediately press a Hershey's Kiss in the center. Let cool completely not to disturb the Hershey Kiss before storing in an air tight container.

Treasured Treats

recipe from Sandra Lee Semi-Homade magazine

Arrange white fudge candy-coated mini pretzel twists on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and place one Rolo on each pretzel. Bake at 300 degrees for 3 minutes. While candy is warm, press a pecan half onto each caramel. Cool completely and drizzle with melted vanilla candy coating.

Christmas Cookies

We've been making these cookies in my family ever since I was a little girl. The cookie gun pictured is the one my mother used when my brothers and I were little. She would let us press the cookies onto the cookie sheet and we thought that was such fun! She gave it to me years ago and Ive been using it every Christmas. The box is pretty worn, but all the pieces are still there.

1 c, butter, softened
3/4 c. sugar
1 egg
1 t. almond or lemon extract
1/4 t. salt
2 1/4 c. sifted flour
1/4 t. baking powder
food coloring

Cream butter and sugar well. Beat in egg and extract. Gradually blend in dry ingredients which have been sifted together. Tent dough with food coloring. Fill cookie press and form cookies on ungreased cookie sheets. Decorate with tiny candies if desired. Bake at 300 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

My Mom's Trash

1 box chex cereal
1 bag bugels
1 bag chex mix
1 can mixed nuts
2 cans peanuts
2 c. pecans
2 T. tobasco
1 T. worcheshire
1 T. seasoning slat
1 T. garlic salt
1 stick butter,melted
1/2 c. oil

Mix seasonings with butter and oil,heated. Pour over mixture and bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour. Stir often.

Nannie's peanut butter fudge

Mike's grandmother used to make this every year at Christmas time. I think it is the BEST peanut butter fudge!! Nannie passed away several years ago, but I think of her often, especially at Christmas time when I start craving some of her fudge! I'm so glad she shared the recipe with me. :)

2 c. sugar

1/8 t. salt

3/4 c. evaporated milk or whipping cream

2 T. corn syrup

4 T. peanut butter

1 t. vanilla

Mix everything together except peanut butter and vanilla in a heavy pan.Cook to a softball stage.(235-245 and forms a ball when dropped in cold water,but flattens when removed from water). Add peanut butter and vanilla. Beat with wooden spoon and pour into buttered pan to set.

Buckeyes

My mother in law shared this recipe with me years ago when Mike and I first married. I had never heard of buckeyes until she introduced them to me. They have been a favorite of my family ever since. This recipe makes a lot, but can easily be halfed.

2 lbs. peanut butter
1 lb. oleo,melted
3 lbs. powdered sugar
2 pk. chocolate chips
1/2 bar parafin

Mix together with spoon first 3 ingredients. Roll into balls. Dip in chocolate and parafin. Drop on waxed paper. ( I usually chill the balls before dipping)

NOTE: I have started using almond bark instead of the chocolate chips and parrafin. The kids love them dipped in the white almond bark too!

Sugar Cookies

3/4 c. butter

1 c. sugar

2 eggs

1/2 t. lemon extract

2 1/2 c. flour

1 t. baking powder

1 t. salt

Mix together the butter, sugar,eggs and flavoring. Sift flour. Stir flour,baking powder, and salt together; blend in with the butter mixutre. Chill for 1 hour or longer. Roll,cut and bake at 400 degrees for 6-8 minutes.

Icing:

2 c. sifted powdered sugar

1/2 t. salt

1 t. vanilla

3 T. milk (more or less for desired consistency)

Blend sugar,salt and vanilla. Add milk . Tint with a few drops of food coloring. Spread on cookies. May add sprinkles if desired.

Microwave Divinity

2 c. sugar
1/3 c. white corn syrup(Karo)
2 egg whites
1 t. vanilla
1/2 c. chopped nuts or whole nuts
1/2 c. water

Combine sugar, syrup, water in 4 c. glass. Cook on high for 3 minutes. Stir. Cook on high for 6-8 minutes(until hard ball stage, 250 degrees on candy thermometer).

While syrup is cooking, beat egg whites in a large bowl to stiff peaks. Pour syrup in thin slow stream into egg whites. Beat with mixer on high; add vanilla. Beat 6-8 minutes or until mixture loses shine. Pour in 8 1/2 x 9 inch pan. (I drop on waxed paper by spoon). Sprinkle nuts on top. Cool. Store in airtight container.

Microwave Peanut Patties

Combine in 2 quart glass bowl:

2 c. sugar
dash of salt
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. white Karo syrup

Cook on high 4 minutes. Stir and add 1 1/2 c.raw peanuts. Cook on high for 8 minutes.

Stir and add:

2 T. butter
1 t. vanilla
2-3 drops red food coloring

Beat until creamy and drop on waxed paper. You can also pour on a pizza pan whick has been sprayed with Pam. When cool, cover in saran wrap. Add a bow and give as a Christmas gift.

Popcorn Trash

Popcorn Trash

3 individual size bags microwave popcorn
3-6 squares white almond bark ( I used 6)
m & m's ( I used the christmas colors)
dry roasted peanuts

Pop the popcorn and place in a brown paper sack that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Add m&m's, and peanuts. Melt the almond bark and pour over popcorn. Close the sack and shake until all is coated. You can put whatever you want in this. Craisin,raisins, pretzels, work well also.

As you can see in the above picture, they make a cute gift for coworkers or friends!

Crock Pot Candy

Peanut Clusters

16 oz. Dry Roasted Peanuts(Unsalted)

16 oz. Dry Roasted Peanuts(Salted)

12 oz. Pkg. Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips

4 oz. German Chocolate

2 Pkgs. White Almond Bark

Put all ingredients in crock pot and cook on low setting for 3 hours. Stir occasionally with wooden spoon. Turn off heat and let set for 30 minutes. Drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper.

Santa cookies

photo by Taste of Home

I found another cute recipe to make with your children or grandchildren courtesy of Taste of Home....

Ingredients

12 ounces white baking chocolate, chopped
1 package (1 pound) Nutter Butter sandwich cookies
Red colored sugar
32 vanilla or white chips
64 miniature semisweet chocolate chips
12 ounces white baking chocolate, chopped
1 package (1 pound) Nutter Butter sandwich cookies
Red colored sugar
32 vanilla or white chips
64 miniature semisweet chocolate chips
32 red-hot candies

Directions

In a microwave, melt white chocolate at 70% power for 1 minute; stir. Microwave at additional 10- to 20-second intervals, stirring until smooth.
Dip one end of each cookie into melted chocolate, allowing excess to drip off. Place on wire racks. For Santa's hat, sprinkle red sugar on top part of chocolate. Press one vanilla chip off-center on hat for pom-pom; let stand until set.
Dip other end of each cookie into melted chocolate for beard, leaving center of cookie uncovered. Place on wire racks. With a dab of melted chocolate, attach semisweet chips for eyes and a red-hot for nose. Place on waxed paper until set. Yield: 32 cookies.