Buttermilk Peanut Butter Fudge

I've always been a fan of Southern fudge, which has a completely different texture than the fudge we all know and love today. Southern fudge is a much harder, more "sugary" type consistency. So when offered most fudges, I turn them down, as I'm not a fan of the softer fudges. But I had some leftover buttermilk and decided to try this fudge recipe. It's a cross between Southern fudge and regular fudge. I would venture to say it's a "caramely" texture. I took it to work and the students swarmed over it like it was money! Before I could even hardly lift the lid off the container, I was hearing "can I have a piece Mrs. D.? Can I take one for my friend?" (haha)! They proceeded to eat it all and then I was left with a room full of students in a sugar coma lol. Needless to say it was a nice quiet day ;)

 Recipe Source: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/buttermilk-peanut-butter-fudge-recipe.html

Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
1 cup buttermilk
Pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup creamy natural peanut butter

Directions:
Butter a large plate and set aside. In a heavy saucepan, bring the sugar, buttermilk, and salt to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook to the soft ball stage, removing from the heat immediately when the candy thermometer reaches 234 degrees. Add the vanilla and peanut butter, and stir with a wooden spoon to blend. Then beat energetically with the spoon until the fudge begins to lose its gloss and starts to thicken. Pour quickly onto the plate. Allow to cool to room temperature before cutting.

Red Velvet Cake Batter Fudge

Would this be considered complete sabotage if I made this today to take to my fitness trainer? I think so, but I think it was my own sabatoge, because I certainly HAD to taste a bite for quality control. ;)
The fact that there are still some pieces sitting in my refrigerator right now is not boding well for me. If you listen closely, you can probably  hear it calling my name. I would have taken my trainer all of it, but I knew if I did, she would create a wicked workout for me to pay me back haha! So here I sit, exerting every bit of will power  I have to NOT go get another piece. Do you think I'll make it? I hope so, but for now, you will have to excuse me while I go to the refrigerator for a piece of fudge  healthy drink of water! :)

Recipe Source: http://chocolatechocolateandmore.com/2013/11/red-velvet-cake-batter-fudge/

Ingredients:

1 box Red Velvet cake mix 

2 cups powdered sugar

10 Tbsp butter, cut into small pieces or cubes

5 Tbsp milk

3/4 cup white chocolate chips

Edible pearls or sprinkles for decorating

Sift together cake mix and powdered sugar in a large microwaveable bowl. Add cubed butter and milk. There is no need to stir. Microwave on high for 2 minutes.

Immediately remove from the microwave and stir until it is all blended and creamy. Stir in white chocolate chips making sure they completely melted into the fudge and there are no white streaks. Press fudge into a parchment lined or lightly greased 8x8 pan. Add the edible pearls or sprinkles on top, if using, and refrigerate until set, about 2 hours or place into the freezer for 20-30 minutes to set it up quickly. When firm, cut into squares and serve.

Salted Dark Chocolate Cashew Clusters

My hubby loves dark chocolate. And when I say dark chocolate, I mean the kind that is so dark and so bitter that it in no way resembles chocolate. So when I stumbled upon some of the dark chocolate chips that I like, that are definitely not so bitter, I decided that I would make these for him and see if he liked them. I should have known he would as he likes anything with dark chocolate. Thankfully he liked them, because if he hadn't I would, or rather my hips would, have been in trouble. I only made 5 and between the hubby, daughter and grand daughter I am thankful I do not have to worry about this temptation any longer. I didn't even taste one, but word on the street has it, they were very good!

Dark chocolate, melted
Cashews
Coarse Sea Salt

There really is no "recipe" for these. Just take any amount of your favorite dark chocolate and melt it down. Stir in any amount of cashews you would like and then scoop it up by the spoonful and place it on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Sprinkle the tops with coarse sea salt and place the cookie sheet in the refrigerator until the chocolate has firmed up.

Krispy Peanut Butter Truffles

I got this recipe from a friend many years ago. It's been a staple on my Christmas baking list since then. I love peanut butter and chocolate together and the crunchy rice krispies in this make that combination come to life even more. Unfortunately, I'm on sugar overload for this season and we still have a couple of days to go. I'm sure I will be posting healthier recipes when Christmas is past, as I will be trying to get back to my all natural, clean eating, since I feel like I need to detox right about now! This recipe is so easy to make and hardly takes any time at all. So if you need to whip up a fast candy for company, this one will work for ya, I  promise. That is IF you can stop yourself from eating them all before your company arrives! ;)

1 cube butter ( use real butter, don't use margarine)
2 3/4 cup Rice Krispy cereal
2 cups creamy peanut butter
1 box (1 lb) powdered sugar
Candiquik chocolate dipping bark or melted milk chocolate of any kind
Cocktail peanuts, chopped, for topping

Melt butter and mix the rest of the ingredients into it. Use a heavy duty spoon to mix this. If you use a mixer, you will crush up all your Rice Krispies. Roll the mixture into balls. Place in the refrigerator to firm up. When they are firm and cold, dip each ball into melted chocolate and place chopped peanuts onto the top of each candy. Place the candies onto waxed paper to firm up again. Store in airtight container on the counter or in the refrigerator.

Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Fudge

If you read my last post, then you will know that usually fudge is not my thing. Well, the peppermint fudge I made, changed my mind and this peanut butter cup fudge most certainly changed it also. But like I always say, you can mix peanut butter with anything in my opinion and you probably have a winning dish. Everyone that tasted this during the Christmas season has loved it. Ok except for my hubby....wait it's not that he didn't love it, it's that he didn't even try it. Sweets could sit around this house for days and he would never even think to try them. How is that fair? It's NOT! I can't even be around sweets, they are like my drug of choice! But trust me when I say, that everyone that did try this, really liked it!

Recipe Source: http://centercutcook.com/peanut-butter-cup-fudge/

20 Reese's miniature peanut butter cups, chopped
2 cups brown sugar
2 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar (make sure you sift)
1 1/4 cups creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup milk (I used 2%)
1 tsp vanilla

 Line an 8 x 8 pan with saran wrap so that it will be easy to lift the fudge out of the pan.

In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar and milk. Bring to a rolling boil, then cook for exactly 2 minutes, stirring frequently.

Stir in peanut butter and mix to combine. Add in vanilla.

Transfer the mixture to the bowl of your mixer. Add in sifted powdered sugar, one cup at a time, mixing between additions. After you’ve added all of the confectioners sugar, mix well! The mixture is going to be really thick, but that's how you want it!

Press the mixture into the prepared dish. Let the fudge cool slightly but not all the way. (Just enough so that the peanut butter cups will still stick to the fudge, but cool enough so they won't melt.)

Sprinkle chopped Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups over the fudge and gently press them down.

Chill in the refrigerator for a couple hours, or until firm, then use the saran wrap as handles to lift the fudge out of the pan. Remove the saran wrap and cut into small squares.

Peppermint Fudge

I have to admit that I am not much of a fudge eater. I mean, I like it, it's ok, but I tend to like the Southern, gritty, harder type fudge, rather than the soft kind. But I think I could become a convert with this peppermint fudge. The mint added such a depth to the flavor and gave it some texture that is usually not there with plain chocolate fudge. This one will be added to my "have to make at Christmas list" from  now on. :)

Recipe Adapted From: http://chocolateandcarrots.com/2012/12/peppermint-fudge

• 1 (14 ounce) can fat free sweetened condensed milk
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 1/2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips (you can substitute with dark chocolate)
• 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 5 candy canes, crushed into bits for the topping

Line an 8 inch square pan with aluminum foil. Set aside.
Over a double boiler on simmer, heat the the sweetened condensed milk and butter together until the butter is melted.
Add in the semi sweet chocolate chips, stirring until melted.
Mix in the peppermint and vanilla and stir until combined.
Place the candy canes in a baggie. Gently crush with a cup, or the back of a spoon, until the candy canes are in small sized pieces.
Pour the pieces into a strainer to sift out the finely crushed peppermint dust.
Sprinkle the crushed candy canes on top of the fudge.
Place in therefrigerator to set for at least 3 hours before cutting into squares.

Microwave Peanut Brittle

What's easier than making Christmas candy in just a few minutes in the microwave? Almost nothing. Well ok...I'm sure there are easier things, but when you are overwhelmed, busy and still want to make some Christmas candy, this is definitely the easiest recipe I can think of. If you have a spare 15 minutes, then you can definitely do this. I was visiting my mom last week, who does not have Internet service at her house and she wanted to make peanut brittle, so we made it the old fashioned way. Oh my goodness, that is so much time spent stirring and watching a candy thermometer. UGH....I came home and decided I would look into good old Pinterest to help me find a good microwave peanut brittle recipe. I'm so glad I did. This didn't take any time at all and it really turned out great!

Original Recipe Source: http://www.plainchicken.com/2011/12/microwave-peanut-brittle.html

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup Karo syrup
1 Tbsp butter 1 tsp vanilla
 1 cup salted cocktail peanuts
1 tsp baking soda

Combine sugar and syrup in a microwave safe bowl. Stir.
Microwave on high for 5 minutes. (Watch for burning....some microwaves run  much hotter than others)
Add butter, vanilla and peanuts and stir to combine. 
Microwave on high for 1 minute 30 seconds.
Remove bowl from microwave (be extremely careful, this bowl will burn you badly if you are not careful)
and quickly stir in baking soda. Immediately pour mixture onto parchment paper or a very thoroughly greased cookie sheet. Spread with a knife or non rubber spatula to desired thickness and let cool for 1 hour. Break into pieces and enjoy! Store in an airtight container or baggie.

Almond Cinnamon Toffee

I hate having insomnia! The reason might not be why you think. Sure I walk around at work all day like a zombie ready to fall over, but that's actually not the reason I hate insomnia so much. The reason is that when I wake up too early in the morning, or the middle of the night, the ONLY thing there is to do is make something yummy in the kitchen. Sure, I could watch I love Lucy re-runs or some other show on TV, but really....doesn't cooking or baking sound like a lot more fun? I think so! The problem is that my insomnia is going to  lead to extra lbs on my already too fat thighs and belly. So off I go to work now sleepy and fat lol!

http://www.sugarhero.com/recipes/?recipe_id=6005053
1 cup (2 cubes) butter
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp corn syrup
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup almonds
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Line a baking sheet with Parchment paper and set aside. Use a food processor to coarsely chop half the almonds. Set aside. Use the food processor to finely chop the other half of the almonds. Set those aside also.

 2.Melt the butter in a medium size saucepan over medium heat. Once it is melted, remove it from the heat and stir in the sugar. Once the sugar is mixed in, add the water and corn syrup and stir until well-mixed together.

3. Place the pan back on the heat and insert a candy thermometer. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the candy reaches 290 degrees. 

4. Once the candy reaches 290 degrees, remove it from the heat. Stir in the cinnamon and all the coarsely chopped nuts, and immediately pour the candy onto the prepared baking sheet. Tilt the sheet several times to spread the candy in a thin layer. Allow the toffee to sit at room temperature until it is completely cool.

5. Place the chocolate chips in a large microwave-safe bowl, and microwave until melted, stirring after every 30 seconds to avoid burning it.

6. Spoon half of the melted chocolate on top of the toffee, and spread it in a thin, even layer over the top. Sprinkle half of the finely chopped nuts on the wet chocolate. Place the toffee in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes (or the freezer for 5-10 min) to firm up the chocolate. 

7. Remove the toffee from the refrigerator (or freezer) and lift it from the parchment paper. Flip the toffee over so that the chocolate side is now resting on the parchment paper. Spoon the remaining melted chocolate over the top of the toffee and spread it evenly. (If necessary, re-warm the chocolate briefly so that it is spreadable). Sprinkle the remaining finely chopped nuts on the chocolate.Refrigerate (or freeze) the toffee again for just a few minutes to set the chocolate. 

9. Once set, break the candy into small pieces with your hands. Store the toffee in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge Bites

Uh Oh! This could spell big trouble for me, and I mean BIG trouble. These are AMAZING! Chocolate and peanut butter has to be the best combination on the planet (well besides the hubby and I) that I can think of. So when you mix my two favorites with a fudge like consistency and then tell me it's pretty healthy, I don't know if I can handle all that information at once. So just because it doesn't have all the "bad for you" ingredients in it, does not mean I need to listen to my brain when it says "oh my gosh that is so good, eat it all because it's healthy!" I ate one (good thing I made these in a mini muffin tin and they are small) and contemplated eating another but now that they are all put away in the freezer, hopefully I won't get into them too often. I may, just may, have to take one for the team each day, just to let you all know how the taste is progressing along ;)

 Recipe Source: http://creatingnaturally.com/healthy-chocolate-peanut-butter-fudge/

1/2 cup coconut oil slightly melted (mine was completely melted and it worked fine)
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup all natural peanut butter
1/4 cup honey
1/2 tsp vanilla

Prepare a min muffin pan with 12 muffin liners.

Put all the ingredients in the bowl of your food processor.  Pulse a few times until everything is smooth and nicely combined. Pour the fudge into the prepared muffin liners dividing evenly between the twelve of them. Place them in the freezer until they are solid. ( I am leaving mine in the freezer for storage because it's so hot in So Cal right now and it will make a nice refreshing cold, sweet treat)

Caramel, Peanut Butter, Krispy Candies

Well...here's to another diet killer! Thankfully I showed restraint and only  had one small  nibble of one candy. Hold the applause..."thank you, thank you very much."
It took everything in me not to tear into these bad boys and eat them all up. I'm glad we had company arriving, so I knew at least some, if not all, of them would not be tempting me anymore. I wish I could have sent the rest home with our sweet friends, but since they were flying back home to Oregon the next day, I don't think these would have held up! So now I have to refrain from looking at them in my refrigerator to keep from falling off the diet wagon.

20 Kraft Caramels
Peanut Butter
1 (11.5 oz) bag Milk Chocolate Chips
3/4 cup Rice Krispies

Unwrap individual caramels. Using a spoon, place a small (or large, if you REALLY want these peanut buttery tasting) amount of peanut butter onto the top of each caramel. Set aside.

Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave or on top of a double boiler. (If using the microwave, only cook in 15 second intervals and stir well between each 15 seconds. Keep stirring because they will melt and smooth out as you stir). When the chocolate is all smooth, add the Rice Krispies to the chocolate and stir until mixed in thoroughly.

Using a fork, dip each peanut butter topped caramel into the chocolate mixture. You will likely need a spoon to cover the caramel in chocolate. Lift up the candy with the fork and let any excess chocolate drip back into the bowl. Place each candy on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. After all candies have been dipped, place the cookie sheet  into the refrigerator for approx 15 minutes or until chocolate is all firmed up. Take out of the refrigerator and let sit out a few minutes to bring the caramel back to room temp. You can eat these directly from the refrigerator, but the caramel gets a little harder to bite into. Enjoy!

Raspberry Cheesecake Truffles

Along with the cookie dough stuffed brownie truffles in my last post, I also made these raspberry cheesecake truffles. OMGosh! These are downright amazing. It's like a little bite of heaven. Imagine a slice of raspberry cheesecake dipped in chocolate and you have imagined what these taste like.

http://www.cookingclassy.com/2011/12/raspberry-cheesecake-truffles/

8 oz cream cheese, softened

14 graham crackers (the full sheet, not 14 squares,) ground in a food processor

3 Tbsp raspberry jam

3 Tbsp powdered sugar

1/4 cup white chocolate chips, melted

1/2 tsp raspberry extract

6-8 drops red food coloring

Chocolate bark. for dipping

1/2  cup white chocolate chips
Red food coloring

In a bowl, mix together cream cheese, 14 ground graham cracker sheets, raspberry jam, and powdered sugar. Stir until well combined. Mix in 1/4 cup melted white chocolate chips, raspberry extract and food coloring. Mix well. Cover mixture with plastic wrap and freeze 1 hour, or until firm enough to form into balls.

Remove mixture from freezer and scoop out 1 Tbsp at a time and form into balls. Place on a parchment paper lined baking dish or plate. Cover truffle balls with plastic wrap and freeze 1 hour, or until firm enough to dip in chocolate.

Melt the chocolate bark in the microwave, in short intervals, until melted and smooth. 

Remove truffles from freezer, and using a fork, dip truffle balls into melted chocolate. Return chocolate covered truffle to parchment paper to allow the chocolate to firm up. Repeat process with remaining truffle balls. You can place the truffles in the refrigerator to speed up the hardening process. 

To garnish the truffle balls, melt white chocolate chips and stir until smooth. Stir in red food coloring to give it a dark pink color. Place the melted pink chocolate into a baggie and snip a very small hole off one corner end. In a back and forth motion, squeeze the pink chocolate out onto the tops of the hardened truffles. Let them harden again and enjoy!

Store truffles in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Cookie Dough Stuffed Brownie Truffles

Do you love cookie dough? Do you love brownies? Do you love chocolate? I'm just going to assume that you answered yes to all of these, cause really, who wouldn't have a yes answer to all those questions? Nobody I know, except my hubby. So when we were invited to have dinner at a friends house, I was put on dessert duty. I knew the hubby wouldn't eat these, so I made his favorite cookies to go along with these. These were a big hit. They are rich though, so consider yourself warned of the sugar coma that follows!

Original Recipe:
http://cookiesandcups.com/more-stuffed-brownie-truffles/

1 box brownie mix, prepared according to pkg directions
1 batch egg free cookie dough (recipe below)
chocolate bark, or melt chocolate chips for dipping the truffles

Prepare your brownie mix according to the directions on the package. Let them cool completely. Meanwhile, prepare your egg free cookie dough (See recipe at the bottom). Set aside until brownies are cooled.
Roll a small (marble size) portion of cookie dough into a ball. Place the rolled balls (they will be sticky) onto a parchment lined cookie sheet that will fit into your freezer.
Freeze the balls for about a half hour. Take them out of the freezer and using your hands, roll an amount of brownie over them, just enough to cover them. (There is not an exact amount or a science to this, just  grab some brownies with your hand and smoosh it around the cookie dough). You may need to keep putting the cookie dough back into the freezer for a few minutes if it gets too sticky to handle again.
Once all the balls have been covered in brownies, refreeze them for about another half hour. This will make them much easier to dip in the melted chocolate.
Melt your dipping chocolate and using a fork, dip each truffle into the melted chocolate (let the excess chocolate drip off before you try to move it) and place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.
Once the chocolate firms up on the outside of your truffles, they are done!

Egg free cookie dough recipe:

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp water
1 1/4 cups flour
1 cup chocolate chips

In mixer, cream together butter, white sugar and brown sugar.  Add vanilla and water and beat until smooth. Turn mixer to low and mix in flour until fully incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips.

Chocolate Covered Coffee Toffee

It's actually pretty funny that just a couple posts ago, I shared how I have taken on a new healthy living lifestyle and here I am posting another sugary, yummy post! Honestly, I am not eating any of these goodies, but I am sure enjoying creating them for all our friends and family during the Christmas season. This one should be a hit, because come on...who doesn't like toffee? Dipped in chocolate? With coffee? See...you are drooling now huh? Well if you can stop drooling long enough to head on into your kitchen, you are probably going to want to make this candy.

* Original Recipe found here: Chocolate Covered Coffee Toffee

2 sticks unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp molasses
3 tsp instant coffee powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 pound milk chocolate melted

1. Cover a cookie sheet with parchment or wax paper.

2. In a medium sized sauce pan, place a candy thermometer. Bring all the ingredients, excluding the chocolate, to a boil over medium low heat. Continue to cook and stir the mixture until the thermometer reaches 275°

3. Stir constantly until the thermometer reaches 315°. Remove it from the heat and stir until very smooth, just a few seconds.

4. Pour the toffee onto the prepared cookie sheet.

5. Using a spatula spread the toffee out into a large rectangle. try to keep it as even as possible. Work quickly because the toffee will set fast.

6. Using a pizza cutter, score the toffee into bite sized pieces. This might take a few times going over and over it as the toffee hardens.

7. Allow the toffee to sit until it is room temperature and then break apart the pieces.

8. Melt the chocolate over a double boiler until perfectly smooth. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly. Drop a piece of the toffee into the chocolate. Using a spoon, make sure the toffee is covered with chocolate on all sides.Use a fork to remove the toffee from the chocolate. Shake the candy over the bowl to gently remove the excess chcocolate. Scrape the edge of the fork on the bowl of chocolate as you remove the candy. Lay them on waxed or parchment paper until they set up.

9. You will have a bit of chocolate left over so you can add some decoration to the tops if you wish by scooping the leftover chocolate into a baggie. Clip a very tiny hole in the corner of the baggie and drizzle the chocolate onto the tops of the toffee.

Peanut Butter Candy

Candy is a year round easy thing to make. It normally doesn't require your oven to be turned on in the heat of summer and in winter it just warms your heart. Wait...it does that any time of year. I love making candy and I love trying out new candy recipes. If you like the texture and taste of the inside of a Butterfinger Bar then you will positively like this candy. I found this recipe on Pinterest and it's super yummy! I think the next time I make it, I will try to dip the candy in dark or milk chocolate to see how that turns out.

The original recipe can be found here:http://www.cookistry.com/2011/01/peanut-butter-shale-candy.html
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda

Grease a baking sheet with butter. In a medium sized pot, combine the water, sugar and corn syrup and bring to a boil. Stir occasionally until the sugar melts. Use a candy thermometer to bring the mixture to 305°, stirring frequently.Add the peanut butter, vanilla, and baking soda, and stir quickly to combine. Pour immediately onto your greased pan, and do your best to spread it out evenly. Allow the candy to cool completely, then break it into pieces.

Smore's Truffles

Since winter really never showed up in So Cal this year and it was more like a "mild summer", the closest thing I was going to get to smore's around a campfire, was to light my gas stove and stand around it with bent hangers and smore's fixins and pretend it was cold outside. That was never going to happen, so when I saw this pin on pinterest and found the recipe at http://cakedish.blogspot.com,
I thought it might be worth a try.
They definitely were! I just happened to make mine with heart shaped cookie cutters and I think they turned out really cute. I'm thinking that I just might make these for Valentines day and use the pink,strawberry flavored marshmallows. Strawberries and chocolate always go well together, so I might be onto something here!!
*My adorable hubby bought me some roses, so I added one in to the picture for some extra love to go along with the heart shaped truffles ♥

6 graham crackers
6 Hershey candy bars (plain milk chocolate)
1 cup marshmallow creme
1 Tbsp heavy whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
**Milk chocolate chips (for melting to dip the candies in)

Use a coookie cutter to cut 2 hearts (or any other shape you choose) out of each graham cracker. You will have 12 cut out shaped when you are finished.. (Save the extra crumbs, you will use them for garnish on the top of your truffles)

Use the same cookie cutter to cut 2 shapes out of each Hershey bar. (Save the extra chocolate as you will it for melting to dip the candy in)

In a mixer, combine the marshmallow creme, whipping cream and vanilla until blended. Slowly add in the sugar until the mixture is stiff.

Take the marshmallow mixture and shape into a heart shape (or whatever shape you chose to use) the same size as your cut outs.

Place the graham cracker cut outs on a cookie sheet. Place the marshmallow on top of that and then top it off with chocolate. It should look like this:

Refrigerate them for about an hour.
Right before you take them out of the refrigerator, melt the extra scraps of chocolate in a bowl. Dip each truffle into the chocolate and set on a waxed paper lined cookie sheet. After you dip each one sprinkle a tiny amount of graham crumbs onto the top. Finish this process with all of the candies and place in the refrigerator to harden.
** If you don't have enough scraps of chocolate to cover all your truffles ( I sure didn't) them melt some milk chocolate chips in the microwave (carefully...they burn quickly) and use those to coat the rest of the candy.

Chocolate, Caramel, Peanut Butter and Pretzel Delights

Have you ever heard the term "a moment on your lips, forever on your hips?" Well, I have, and let me tell you these didn't even last a full moment on my lips. They were so good that I pretty much swallowed them whole. So does that mean that my new saying should be " a moment in my gut, forever on my butt?" I think so! ;)
These have got to be classified as one of the easiest candies to make and one of the most delicious to eat. I love the salty and sweet combination. The pretzels help to cut down on the sweet from the chocolate. Oh and of course if you throw peanut butter into anything, that always helps!

*There is only 3 ingredients...see how simple this really is!


Individually wrapped caramels (each one makes one candy, so use as many as the amount of candy you want to make)
Peanut Butter Filled Pretzels (from the grocery store or Trader Joes...again one for each candy)
Dipping Chocolate ( I like to use the log house brand from the grocery store)

Unwrap each caramel and use a rolling pin to roll it out flat and large enough to wrap around a peanut butter filled pretzel. Place a pretzel onto each flattened caramel. Using your hands, wrap the caramel carefully, around the pretzel. Tuck and squeeze any excess caramel so it doesn't look "bumpy." Dip each wrapped pretzel into melted, dipping chocolate. Sprinkle crushed pretzel onto the outside. Let it dry on waxed paper until chocolate is firm and hardened.
* You could also sprinkle sea salt on this if you want a saltier candy!

Andes Mint Cookie Dough Truffles

Oh my goodness, would it sound trite to say these were divine? I love chocolate and mint together. Wait who am I kidding???? I love chocolate with anything! Although these were pretty sweet, I still managed  to eat two of them. So much for my tennis playing today. I'm sure I consumed, just in these two candies alone, everything that I worked off today while playing! Was it worth it? You betcha! These pretty much melt in your mouth.  I'm sure they won't melt off my hips though, which means I start walking faster and further tomorrow on my walk.

4 ounces, cream cheese, softened 
1/2 cup butter, softened 
1 cup Brown Sugar 
1tsp vanilla extract 
1 cup Flour 
1/4 tsp salt 
1 cup Andes Mint Morsels  
12 ounces, Chocolate Candy Coating Melted 
1/2 cup Andes mint morsels for topping


In a food processor, beat cream cheese with butter. Add in sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth. Beat in flour and salt. Fold in Andes candy. Using a small scoop or spoon, place small amounts of the dough into rounds on a wax paper lined cookie sheet. Place in the freezer for 15 min. Remove from the freezer and shape each ball into a nice smooth ball. Freeze the smoothed balls for approx 15-20 more minutes. Using a toothpick, or a candy fork, dip each truffle into melted chocolate candy bark. Let excess chocolate drip off the truffle. Place onto wax paper and immediately top each candy (before it dries) with the extra morsels. Let the chocolate firm up and enjoy!

*Original recipe from http://tastykitchen.com

Orange and Vanilla Cranberries

Cranberries are not usually "my thing" but I actually wound up liking these. The sugar helps cut the tartness of the berry and the orange flavoring just adds an exciting taste twist to it. Since cranberries are so tart, I was sure glad these were rolled in sugar, because the sight of me puckering is not pretty! Well maybe when the hubby leans in for a kiss, but definitely not with a cranberry in my mouth. HaHa. Be prepared as you bite into some of the cranberries, your mouth will burst with cranberry juice that squishes out of the berry. Some of the berries behave well and do not do this! These make a great dish to have sitting out instead of the usual candies or cookies at some gatherings. If I had remembered to take a picture when they were all set up in their pretty dish with a green leaf to make them festive, the picture might have been more appealing....but instead you got stuck with the "they are done, so I just have time to throw them on a plate and take a quick one" kind of picture!

3 3/4 cups sugar, divided 
1 1/4 cups water 
1/2 cup orange juice  
2 tsp. vanilla 
2 tsp. orange extract 

1 (12 oz) bag of fresh cranberries 

Combine 2 ½ cups of sugar, water, orange juice, vanilla extract and orange extract in a sauce pan. Heat over medium until the sugar has completely dissolved, but don't allow it to come to a boil. 

Put in the cranberries and stir. Place the cranberries and the liquid into a large bowl. Use a small plate or a smaller size bowl that will fit inside the larger one and place it on top of the berries to keep them as pushed down under the water as you can. Put a cover on it and leave it in the refrigerator over night or for at least 7 hours. Place the remaining 1 ¼ cup of sugar in a dish that will fit all the cranberries and allow you to shake it all up. Drain the cranberries and shake them in the sugar until they are completely coated. Place them on a cookie sheet to dry for a couple of hours.

Candy Cane Hearts

I saw these cute candy cane hearts awhile back on the Internet. I had 5 leftover candy canes from a recipe earlier this week and they were beckoning me to either eat them or make something else with them. For once, I decided to let the "make something" side of me win the argument haha! Maybe next year I will make these as "gift toppers" to go under the Christmas tree. Just add some plastic wrap, some ribbons and voila.....a cute "gift topper".

Candy Canes
Milk Chocolate
Andes baking mint chips
Crushed Candy Canes

On a sheet of wax paper, place two candy canes in the shape of a  heart. In a bowl, melt the chocolate and Andes mints in the microwave (or you can use a double boiler, I just don't happen to have one anymore) and spoon the melted chocolate into the middle of the candy canes. Sprinkle  the crushed candy cane onto the chocolate immediately and let it all firm up on the counter.

Peppermint OreoTruffles

Once in awhile I take a recipe I am already familiar with and love, and add just a little something different to it to produce new results. That's what I did today with this batch of Oreo Truffles. John and I are bringing these yummy truffles for the greeting ministry at church tomorrow. How can you go wrong with the words "Peppermint, Oreo and Truffle" all in one title? You can't!!! I hope they get eaten up at church tomorrow or I will be forced to bring them back home, in which case, I'm sure I will make a pig of myself eating them. It seems as though they call out my name each time I pass by. So far I have done well at ignoring their calls but I'm not sure how much longer I can keep it up! ;)

1 (8 oz) block cream cheese
1 bag Oreo Cookies (not double stuffed)
6 Candy canes crushed (you can put the candy canes in a sealed baggie and crush with a hammer)
1/4 cup Andes mint baking chips (unfortunately these are only available at Christmas time in your local stores)
Semi sweet chocolate chips, melted with just a touch of shortening
* A few chopped Andes mint baking chips for the tops of the candies

Place the cream cheese, cookies, crushed candy canes ( you can put the whole candy canes in a sealed baggie and crush with a hammer) and the 1/4 cup Andes mints in the food processor. Process together until it comes together in a big ball and no white  cream cheese is visible anymore. Roll into balls and place on a wax paper lined cookie sheet and place into the freezer for about 10-20 min. (You don't want these to be frozen, but you do want them firm enough to dip into the chocolate). Remove from freezer and dip into the melted chocolate. Let the excess chocolate drip off and place back onto a wax paper lined cookie sheet Place a little bit of chopped andes baking mints onto the top of each truffle. Place the cookie sheet into the refrigerator until they are completely solid, firm and not shiny!