Homemade Fudge

Christmas Countdown 2012
                  
3 ounces cream cheese (softened)
1 stick butter (softened)
2-3 drops vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar

Mix first three ingredients by hand. 

Slowly mix in powdered sugar until no longer really sticky (about 4 cups).

Roll fudge into logs on wax paper.

Refrigerate until hardened.

Cut into slices and serve.

Chocolate Caramel Brownies

Christmas Countdown 2012

1 box chocolate cake mix
1 cube butter, softened
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup chocolate chips
50-60 caramels

Mix cake mix, butter and 1/2 can sweetened condensed milk until combined (texture is VERY thick and somewhat crumbly). 

Press a little more than half of the mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 greased pan. 

Bake at 350 for 5-6 min. 

While it cools, melt caramels with sweetened condensed milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat until smooth. Pour over brownies. Sprinkle with choc. chips and then sprinkle the rest of the brownie mixture on top of that (crumbling between your fingers as you sprinkle). 

Bake again for about 11 minutes. Cool completely before cutting.

Ginger cookies

Christmas Countdown 2012

3/4 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup molasses
1 egg
2 1/3 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

Cream butter and sugar. Add molasses and egg and mix again. Add salt, soda, and spices. Mix well. Add flour and beat till thoroughly combined. Roll dough into balls (about 1"). Roll balls in sugar. Place on greased baking sheet and cook at 350 for 8-10 minutes, until tops begin to crack. Cool and serve.

Fudgey Chocolate Chip Toffee Bars

Christmas Countdown 2012


½ C butter (melted)
2 C graham cracker crumbs (~32 squares)
8 oz. bag toffee bits
1 roll refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough
12 oz. bag chocolate chips
14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 T butter
1 tsp vanilla extract

Grease 13×9 baking dish.

Have the roll of cookie dough sitting out for around 10 minutes to soften.

In a medium mixing bowl, stir together ½ cup of melted butter, 1½ cups of graham cracker crumbs, and ¾ cup of toffee bits. Pour mixture into the greased pan and press evenly until mixture covers bottom of pan. Refrigerate for around 15 minutes.

Heat oven to 350°.

In a 2 qt. saucepan, heat 14 oz. of sweetened condensed milk, 12 oz. of chocolate chips, and 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Stir frequently until the chocolate chips are melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Spread the mixture over the graham cracker crumb mixture.

In another medium mixing bowl, break up the cookie dough and stir in the remaining ½ cup of graham cracker crumbs until blended. Crumble the mixture evenly over the chocolate layer and sprinkle the remaining ¾ cups of toffee bits on top.

Bake for 25-35 minutes or until it’s golden brown. Cool completely before cutting (probably around 2 or more hours).

­­Chocolate Zucchini Bread

1-1/4 cups sugar

3 eggs
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cake flour
1/2 cup baking cocoa
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups shredded peeled zucchini

Directions

In a large bowl, beat the sugar, eggs, applesauce, oil and vanilla until well blended. Combine the flours, cocoa, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and baking powder; gradually beat into sugar mixture until blended. Stir in zucchini. Transfer to two 8-in. x 4-in. loaf pans coated with cooking spray.

Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely. Yield: 2 loaves (12 slices each).