PEANUT BRITTLE RECIPE

I got this peanut brittle recipe off Martha Stewart show many years ago. I made some for my mom, who loves peanut brittle, and gave some to friends. Everyone loved this recipe!

Ingredients:
large stock pot with heavy/tight lid
candy thermometer
large mixing spoon with long, metal handle and bowl
2 large cookie sheets already sprayed with a cooking spray like PAM
3 cups sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup water
4.5 cups roasted, salted peanuts (or any other nut)
4 TBSP unsalted butter
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp baking soda

Let's cook!

1. Into pot, place sugar, corn syrup and water. Stir until well mixed.
2. Put lid onto pot, keeping in the condensation, and put on high heat
3. Occasionally swirl the pot to mix the contents, not taking off the lid
4. Heat for about 5 minutes - until it comes to a boil
5. Place candy thermometer on side of pot, with bottom of sensor at bottom of pot.
6. When it comes up to 230F (about 2 minutes), add in the peanuts. Stir them in using metal spoon.
7. Keep stirring until mixture reaches 300F (about 20 minutes). Yes, your arm will get tired!
8. Once mixture reaches 300F, remove from heat
9. Stir in butter, vanilla and baking soda. Mixture will then foam up
10. Pour onto pans and spread as thin as possible. The thinner, the better.
11. Wait about 1 hour before cracking brittle into pieces

Advice - fill your cooking pot with water and let it sit overnight to dissolve the mixture off the sides of the pot.

Sopapilla Cheesecake

INGREDIENTS~

• 16 oz. softened cream cheese
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 (8 ounce) cans refrigerated crescent rolls
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup softened butter
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds

DIRECTIONS~

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Grease 9x13" pan with butter or cooking spray.
3. Beat the cream cheese with 1 cup of sugar and the vanilla extract in a bowl until smooth.
4. Using a rolling pin to shape the crescent roll pieces into two 9x13 inch rectangles.
5. Press one rectangle into the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish.
6. Evenly spread the cream cheese mixture into the baking dish, then cover with the remaining piece of crescent dough.
7. Stir together sugar, cinnamon, and butter.
8. Dot the mixture over the top of the cheesecake
9. Evenly cover with almonds.
10. Bake in the preheated oven until the crescent dough has puffed and turned golden brown, about 30 minutes.
11. Remove from the oven and drizzle with honey.
12. Cool completely in the pan before cutting into 12 squares.

Delicious Brownies with Irish Creme Frosting

Ingredients:

Brownies:
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate
1 oz. unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt
3 large eggs
1 cup flour

Frosting:
1/3 cup Irish Cream liqueur (such as Bailey's)
8 oz. white chocolate, chopped

Instructions:

Brownies-

Pre-heat oven to 325 F.
Line a 8" x 8" baking pan with aluminum foil , leaving at least 2 inches of foil overhanging on all sides (this will help you lift the finished brownies out of the pan).
Set aside.
Melt chocolate and butter together in a saucepan over low/medium heat, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat and cool slightly.
Whisk sugar, vanilla and salt into chocolate mixture.
Whisk in the eggs, one at a time.
Continue whisking mixture until it is shiny and smooth.
Add flour and whisk just until blended.
Pour batter into pan and level top with a spatula.
Bake for about 35 minutes, or until cake tester comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it. Cool completely in pan.

Option - buy a box of brownie mix!

Topping-

Gently heat liqueur to a boil, remove from heat.
Whisk in white chocolate until it is completely melted and mixture is smooth.
Refrigerate until mixture becomes thick enough to spread, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.
Spread topping over brownies and refrigerate until cold.
Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
Lift foil to remove it and brownies out of pan,
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Queen of Hearts Jam Tarts

This recipe is from guest chef, Jenn Thorson~


Supplies-

1 jar raspberry or strawberry jam
4-inch heart-shaped tart pans

Pastry ingredients-

Each batch makes two large tarts

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2/3 cup margarine or butter, softened
1 egg

Instructions:

Heat oven to 400 degrees F.

Grease tart pans lightly with margarine.

Mix all ingredients for Cookie Tart Pastry until dough forms.

Press firmly, evenly and thickly against bottom and side of tart pan (If the dough is too thin, it will be hard to remove the baked item from the pan and it’ll, um, break your heart).

Poke with fork thoroughly to prevent dough from puffing.

Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until light brown;

Cool.

Remove from tart pan carefully.

Fill with raspberry jam and enjoy!

PS-- I got my tart pans at TJ Maxx and Marshalls, though many kitchen stores will have them. Happy Valentine’s Day, everybody!

About the owner of this recipe:

"A veteran thrifter, compulsive home decorator and fan of the funny and offbeat, I work as a marketing writer by day and a blogger by night... So, you know, sorta like Batgirl, but with less fighting evil and more carpal tunnel.Visit "Of Cabbages and Kings" for a warm appreciation of all the wit, whimsy and weirdness everyday life has to offer.Stop by "The Thrift Shop Romantic" to find the place where humor and some serious decorating, crafting, thrifting and gifting meet. "

Her Blogs are:
Of Cabbages and Kings http://cabbages-n-kings.blogspot.com/
Where tales of pollen cats, ski-ball athleticism, reverse salad bars, and evil clown dolls all come to spawn. Find the wit, whimsy and general weirdness with this hum…
The Thrift Shop Romantic http://thriftshopromantic.blogspot.com/
Blog and project site for fun, vintage-style home decorating ideas, crafting, gifting, thrifting and collecting on a budget.

Romantic Chocolate Triffle

Ingredients:

3 cups cold milk
2 small packages chocolate instant pudding
1 tub of 8-oz COOL WHIP French Vanilla Whipped Topping (thawed)
1 already baked 9-inch square brownie layer, cooled and crumbled into 1-inch pieces
1 pt. (2 cups) raspberries

Proceedure:

Beat milk and dry pudding mixes in large bowl with wire whisk about 2 minutes until blended. Let set in refrigerator at least 3 hours.
Gently stir in 1 cup of the whipped topping.
Evenly lay out half of the brownies pieces in a 2-qt. glass serving bowl, punch bowl or triffle bowl Top with half of the pudding
Top with half of the whipped topping
Top with half of the berries
Top with the rest of the brownie pieces
Top with the rest of the pudding
Top with the rest of the whipped topping
Top with the rest of the berries
REFRIGERATE at least 1 hour. Store leftovers in refrigerator.

Thank you Kraft for this delicious recipe

Jello Jigglers for Valentine's Day

Ingredients-
3 small boxes of any red JELL-O
4 envelopes KNOX Unflavored Gelatine
4 cups boiling water
Heart-shaped cookie cutters

Proceedure-
Completely mix jello and gelatine powders in a bowl
Add boiling water and keep stirring until completely dissolved.
Pour mixture into very-lightly greased 13x9 inch pan.
Refrigerate for at least 3 hours
Once jello is set, cut in shapes with cookie cutters

Warm up bottom of pan very slightly by dipping in warm water a few seconds
Remove the extra jello - let your kids eat it
Using a slightly greased spatula, remove hearts and place them on a serving plate
Keep refrigerated and covered

Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients-
18 oz semisweet chocolate
2 cups very cold heavy cream
6 eggs
2 TBSP powdered sugar
2 TBSP Creme de Cacao
1 TBSP vanilla

Proceedure-

Melt the chocolate over hot water or very slowly under low heat, stirring constantly.

While the chocolate cools, whip the cream on high until it forms medium-stiff peaks. Do not overbeat.

Separate 4 of the eggs and set the whites aside.

In a bowl, mix those 4 yolks with the 2 remaining whole eggs. Beat until eggs are thick and bright yellow, about 5 minutes.

Put the 4 egg whites that you set aside in a bowl and whisk until the whites start to stiffen.

Sprinkle the powdered sugar into the egg whites and beat until you have firm peaks.

Working quickly, add the cooled melted chocolate and a scoop of the whipped cream to the egg yolks. Stir until smooth, then add the remaining cream.

When it is fully blended, add the liqueur and vanilla.

Then fold in the whites until just blended.

Pour mousse into small individual serving dishes.

Chill at least 4 hours or overnight

Optional - Top with sliced fresh strawberries or other berries and more whipped cream

RED VELVET CUPCAKES

Cake Ingredients:
1.5 sugar
1 stick slightly softened butter

2 eggs, room temperature
2 1/3 cups flour
2 TBSP cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk
1.5 TBSP red food coloring
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp distilled white vinegar

Frosting Ingredients:
1 stick softened butter
8 oz softened cream cheese
2 to 3 cups powdered sugar (to your taste)
1 tsp vanilla

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Mix butter and sugar in an electric mixer for 3 minutes on medium speed until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs, one at a time until each is fully blended in. Set aside.

In a large bowl, sift together the cake flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and set aside.

In a third, bowl whisk together the buttermilk, vinegar, vanilla extract, and red food coloring.
Now add a fourth of the dry ingredients into the buttermilk mixture

Next, add a third of the wet to the buttermilk mixture.

Slowly add some of the dry and then some of the wet ingredients into the buttermilk mixture, blending completely after each addition

Scoop into cupcake papers, about 1/2 to 3/4 of the way full.

Bake for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Allow to cool for one minute in the pan then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Now make the frosting-

Cream the butter and cream cheese together, about 3 minutes.

Add vanilla extract and mix.
Add powdered sugar gradually, continually tasting to get to desired sweetness.

Spread onto cooled cupcakes.

Cheery Cherry Valentine's Day Cookies

Ingredients:
3/4 cup finely chopped dried cherries
2.5 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup very cold butter
12 oz white baking/candy making chocolate, chopped
1/2 tsp vanilla
1-3 drops red food coloring
2 tsp shortening
Optional - red/pink sprinkles or red/pink sugar

Directions
Preheat oven to 325 F.
In a large bowl, combine flour and sugar.
Cut in the butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs.
Stir in chopped cherries and 2/3 cup of the chopped white chocolate.
Stir in vanilla and food coloring (you choose how pink or red).
Knead mixture until it forms a smooth ball.
Shape dough into 3/4-inch balls.
Place balls 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet
Flatten balls to 1.5 inches wide
Sprinkle tops with some regular sugar and gently press it into the dough
Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes
Once done, cool for a few minutes then transfer to waxed paper.
In a small saucepan, combine remaining white chocolate and shortening.
While constantly stirring, heat over low heat until melted and consistency of syrup.
Dip a spoon into the melted chocolate and let some drizzle off the spoon onto the middle of each cookie, covering most of the top surface.
Sprinkle tops with colored sprinkles or sugar while chocolate is still wet.

BRANDY PLANTAINS A LA MODE

Ingredients-
2 very ripe (black skins) plantains, peeled
4 tbsp butter
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 oz brandy
1/2 cup wine

Steps-
Chop off both ends of plantains, then slit skin lengthwise to remove it.
Melt butter in a skillet.
Carefully (don't splatter melted butter!) place the plantains in the skillet.
Mix the cinnamon and sugar together and then sprinkle over plantains.
Cook for five minutes and then remove from heat.
Remove the plantains and place in a dish
Add wine to the empty skillet and stir thoroughly with sugar and cinnamon remnants.
Pour the sauce over the plantains.
Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.
Remove from oven and pour brandy over the plantains.
Make sure kids and pets are out of kitchen
Set plantains on fire and allow the flames to go out by themselves.
Serve with vanilla ice cream.
Eat it all, don't save leftovers.

HOMEMADE PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

Ingredients-

1/2 cup softened butter

1/2 cup chunky peanut butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1.25 cups flour

Directions-

In a large bowl, beat the butter and peanut butter on high for 30 seconds.
Add sugar, brown sugar, baking soda and baking powder.
Mix, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally.
Beat in the egg and vanilla.
Gradually add the flour, mixing by hand each addition thoroughly
Cover and chill dough about 1 hour.
Shape dough into 1 inch balls and set 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Flatten the balls with fork to make criss cross pattern on the cookies.
Bake in a 375 degree oven about 8 minutes or until bottoms are very light brown. Bake shorter for chewy cookies, longer for harder cookies.
Option - sprinkle a little extra sugar on tops as soon as you pull them out of the oven
Cool cookies on waxed paper.

SWEET BENNE COOKIES - KWANZAA

INGREDIENTS-

1.25 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup softened butter
1 beaten egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup toasted sesame seeds (benne) for good luck

INSTRUCTIONS-

Preheat oven to 325°.
Lightly oil a cookie sheet.
Mix brown sugar and butter until creamy.
Stir in the egg, vanilla extract, and lemon juice.
Add flour, baking powder, salt, and sesame seeds.
Drop rounded teaspoons onto the cookie sheet 2 inches apart.
Bake for 15 mintues or until edges are lightly browned.

CAROL'S CHAMBORD BROWNIES

These brownies are OMG delicious!

Ingredients for bottom/brownie layer:

1 stick butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1 can Hershey's syrup
4 eggs
1/2 tsp salt

Mix the above ingredients and pour into a greased 9x13 inch pan. Bake at 350F for 30 minutes. Let cool. Once cool, make the icing layer:

Ingredients for middle/icing layer:
1 stick softened butter
1 lb powdered sugar
Option - 2 to 4 tsp chambord or raspberry liquor (you can use any flavor that appeals to you. Just remember that it has to go well with chocolate)

Mix all ingredients until fluffy and spread on top of cooled brownie layer

Ingredients for top layer:
12 oz (2 cups chocolate chips)
1.5 sticks butter

Melt butter and chocolate together and then pour on top of icing layer. Once chocolate has set, cut into squares.

HONEY GLAZED DONUTS WITH RAISINS AND PINE NUTS

(epicurious.com)

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1.5 cups warm water

1/2 tsp sugar

1 envelope dry active yeast

3 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup golden raisins

1/4 cup pine nuts

1 large egg, beaten

1 TBSP vegetable oil + more for cooking

1.5 cups honey

3/4 cup water

1 TBSP cinnamon

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1. combine 1/4 warm water and sugar in small bowl, until dissolved

2. sprinkle yeast over water/sugar mixture and stir until blended

3. let sit about 5 minutes - until yeast dissolves and mixture is foamy

4. whisk flour and salt together in large bowl

5. make well in center - fill with raisins, pine nuts, beaten egg and oil

6. pour remaing warm water on top

7. pour yeast mixture on top

8. stir everything until it becomes a smooth dough, scraping sides of bowl

9. cover bowl with plastic wrap, then a towel on top

10. let dough rise in warm, draft-free area until doubled in volume- about 1.5 hours

11. line a large baking sheet with 2 or 3 layers of paper towels

12. pour enough oil into a large pot to be 2 inches deep

13. using a deep-fry thermometer, bring oil to 365 F

14. now work in batches of 5 or 6 donuts-

15. dip a metal tablespoon into the hot oil to coat it

16. now dip oil-coated spoon gently into dough and scoop up a spoonful

17. drop dough into oil

18. wipe spoon off, dip it into hot oil again and get another donut going

19. fry each batch of donuts, turning occasionally, about 5 minutes until they are golden.

20. when the batch is done, retrieve them with a slotted spoon

21. set donuts on baking pan, lined with towels to absorb excess oil

22. let donuts sit at room temperature.

23. once you are done with all your batches, make honey glaze-

24. whisk honey, 3/4 cup water and cinnamon in saucepan over medium heat

25. as soon as it boils, remove from heat

26. dip warm donuts into honey glaze and pile onto a platter

27. set out remaining syrup for your guests

BAKLAWA / BAKLAVA

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. Filo pastry sheets

1 lb melted, rendered butter (melt for 30 minutes over low heat, put it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, scrape off & discard top residue)

1 lb ground, unsalted cashews or pistachios

1 cup sugar

1/4 tsp allspice

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Syrup-
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup water
2 TBSP orange blossom flavoring or juice of 1 lemon or orange
________________________________________

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Mix nuts, sugar, allspice and cinnamon
3. Cut pastry sheets to fit 9x15 baking pan. Keep them covered with wet towels to prevent drying out
4. Spread one sheet across bottom of pan and brush with melted butter
5. Add alternating layers of sheets and brushed on butter until you have it 20 sheets deep
6. Pour nut mixture on top and spread evenly
7. Put layers of pastry & melted butter on top until all sheets have been used
8. Slice with knife into squares/servings
9. Bake for 1 hour at 350
10. While baklawa is baking, make syrup-
11. Combine sugar and water in pan and bring to boil
12. Continute to stir until syrupy - about 10 minutes
13. Mix in orange blossom flavoring
14. Put in refrigerator immediately
15. You need to baklawa to be done and the syrup to be COLD before combining
16. Once these conditions are meet, pour the cold syrup on top of of the warm baklawa.

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EID Recipes- Saffron Rice Pudding

INGREDIENTS:

6 cups whole milk
8 TBSP rice flour
9 TBSP sugar
1/2 tsp ground cardamon
1/4 tsp saffron
2 TBSP rose water

Optional - whipped cream
____________________

1. Put milk in pan and set on low heat
2. Slowly stir in flour
3. Slowly stir in sugar
4. Now stir briskly with a whisk. Stir in lots of air!
5. Once it starts to boil, continue another 2 minutes
6. Remove from heat
7. With whisk, whip in cardamon, saffron and rose water
8. Pour into bowl(s)
9. Eat as soon as it gets to room temperature or store immediately in refrigerator.
10. Option - top each serving with whipped cream

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Fall Recipes-

These are my autumn offerings. Hope you enjoy them. Comments are appreciated. The first week of December, I'll be posting recipes for some more holidays - Eid-ul-Adha, Hanukkah, Christmas and Kwanzaa.

Thanksgiving Recipes- Pennsylvania Pumpkin-Maple Pie

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1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
3 lightly beaten eggs
2 cups drained/well-mashed pumpkin
(or 16oz can pumpkin pie filling)
1 & 1/4 cups evaporated milk
9" pie shell
Whipped cream:
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 TBSP extra maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla
*********************************
1. Preheat oven to 450F
2. Blend together sugar, syrup, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, salt and eggs.
3. Stir in the pumpkin and milk
4. Pour into pie shell and bake 15 minutes
5. Change temperature to 300F and bake another 25-30 minutes (do knife test 1" from rim of pie)
6. Pie is done if knife comes out clean.
7. Cool pie
Serving option - drizzle more maple syrup on top of pie.
8. Whip the heavy cream, then add in the extra maple syrup and vanilla just before finishing whipping. Put a dollop of this on each slice of pie just before serving.
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