a little of each

A family's cookbook

Peanut Butter Fudge June 2, 2013

Filed under: Desserts — alittlemoreofeach @ 3:33 pm
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Before we realized chocolate was bad for dogs, this was a favorite of Kippy’s, our malamute. When you opened the refrigerator to get a slice of fudge, she would sit next to the fridge at full attention until we gave her a little sliver.

 

Ingredients

1 large Hershey’s chocolate bar

2/3 cup chunky peanut butter

1 stick salted butter

 

Directions

Mix all ingredients in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Heat until all ingredients have melted and the mixture just starts to bubble. Pour into an ungreased pie pan and refrigerate to harden.

 

Jen’s variations:

Dice up some caramel squares and add them to the still-warm mixture in the pie pan.

Add some miniature marshmallows to the still-warm mixture in the pie pan.

Line bottom of pan with diced nuts and pour fudge on top.

 

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Candy Bar Chocolate Brownies

Filed under: Desserts — alittlemoreofeach @ 3:31 pm
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Doris saw a tip on “Martha” that would be extremely helpful with this potentially messy dessert: Grease the pan, then line it with parchment paper and grease that as well. When the brownies have cooled, invert the pan on a cake rack and peel off the parchment paper. Normally, these are difficult to get out of the pan neatly even when they are cooled completely, but they are delicious!

 

Ingredients

1 ½ sticks (12 Tbl) unsalted butter, melted

1 ½ cups sugar

2 large eggs (must be at room temperature)

2 Tbl water

½ tsp vanilla extract

½ tsp salt

½ tsp baking powder

¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

½ cup all purpose flour

10 mini chocolate/peanut candy bars crumbled (Snickers fun size work well). These must be refrigerated about 20 minutes before crumbling.

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×13 cake pan (aluminum is fine) with butter. With a spoon, beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl until blended. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in water and vanilla. Sprinkle the salt and baking powder over the mixture, then mix in. Do the same with the cocoa, adding it in three separate batches. Finally, stir in the flour until just blended. This is a very oily mixture so a mixer would make it impossible to work with. Using a large chef’s knife cut the candy bars in half lengthwise, then in four cross cuts, and then chop them into a coarse crumble. Fold the crumble into the batter thoroughly. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, and bake for about 30 minutes until the center is set, the edges look a bit crusty and the top of the brownies start to crack a little. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

 

Fudgey Peppermint Brownies

Filed under: Desserts — alittlemoreofeach @ 3:30 pm
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From Southern Living,” makes two dozen.

 

Ingredients

1 cup butter
4 (1-oz) unsweetened chocolate squares
4 large eggs
2 cups sugar
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp salt
1 Tbl vanilla extract
1 tsp peppermint extract
20 coarsely crushed peppermint candies
 

Directions

Melt butter and chocolate in heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring until smooth; let cool. Beat eggs at medium speed for 2 minutes; gradually add 2 cups sugar, beating well. Add melted chocolate, flour, and next three ingredients; beat well. Stir in peppermint candies. Pour batter into a greased and floured 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack. Cut into bars and sprinkle with powdered sugar. (You can also cut the brownies into circles with a biscuit cutter for a different look.)

 

Michelle Mitchell’s Cherry Walnut Bars

Filed under: Desserts — alittlemoreofeach @ 3:28 pm
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Michelle and Bill brought these pretty pink bars to mine and Ken’s baby shower in September 2006.  Her maternal Grandmother Choquette found this recipe, and the recipe was passed down to Michelle’s mother who used to make them to everyone’s enjoyment.  Michelle says, “I think that these are worth the extra steps.”

 

Ingredients and Directions

2 cups of flour

1 cup butter

½ cup white sugar

Mix flour, butter and sugar together; the mixture will be crumbly.  Pat into a 9×13 dish and bake for 12-15 minutes in a 350 oven.

 

½ cup brown sugar, packed

2 eggs + 1 egg yolk

¼ cup flour

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

½ cup chopped maraschino cherries

1 cup chopped walnuts

Beat eggs, yolk and brown sugar until fluffy.  Sift flour with baking powder and salt.  Blend into egg mixture.  Stir in cherries and walnuts.  Spread over baked crust.  Bake for 20-25 minutes longer.  Cool.

 

2 cups confectioners sugar

2 Tbl Crisco

3 ½ tsp cherry juice

milk

Beat sugar, shortening, and cherry juice together.  Add enough milk to make the mixture into a spreading consistency.

 

Apple Bars

Filed under: Desserts — alittlemoreofeach @ 3:23 pm
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Ingredients 

Crust:

2 cups flour

½ cup sugar

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

1 cup butter, softened

2 egg yolks

 

Filling:

4 cups Golden Delicious apples, peeled and thinly sliced

¾ cup sugar

¼ cup flour

1 tsp cinnamon

 

Directions

To make the crust, combine all the crust ingredients in a mixer; the dough will be very soft. Divide dough in half and place one half in an ungreased 9 x 13 pan. For the filling, mix the sugar, flour and cinnamon together; add the sliced apples and mix until coated. Spread evenly on top of dough. Crumble remaining half of dough on top of apples. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

 

Lemon Squares

Filed under: Desserts — alittlemoreofeach @ 3:21 pm
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Ingredients

1 cup flour

½ cup butter

¼ cup powdered sugar

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

½ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

2 tsp lemon zest

2 tsp lemon juice

 

Directions

Mix one cup flour, butter and powdered sugar. Press into an ungreased 8 x 8 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Beat eggs, sugar, baking powder, salt, lemon zest and juice together until light and fluffy. Pour over hot crust and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Cool completely and cut into squares. Makes 16 bars.

 

Brown Sugar Chewies

Filed under: Desserts — alittlemoreofeach @ 3:20 pm
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Thanksgiving 2005, from “Paula Deen and Friends”

 

Ingredients
¼ cup butter
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 egg, beaten
¾ cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp vanilla extract
¼ cup pecans, chopped
confectioner’s sugar, for dusting
Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8-inch square pan with vegetable oil cooking spray. In a small saucepan, melt butter. Turn off heat, add brown sugar and stir until smooth. Stir in egg. Sift together flour and baking powder and stir into brown sugar mixture. Add vanilla and pecans. Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes. When cool, dust top with a sifting of confectioners’ sugar. After cutting into squares remove from pan and store in a plastic container with a tight fitting lid.

 

Conga Bars

Filed under: Desserts — alittlemoreofeach @ 3:19 pm
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Ingredients

¾ cup flour

2 ½ teaspoons baking powder

½ tsp salt

2/3 cup melted butter

2 cups brown sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup nuts, chopped

6 oz semi-sweet chocolate pieces

 

Directions

Grease a 9 x 13 pan. Sift dry ingredients together. Mix butter and sugar together, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Add flour mixture, beating well until smooth. Stir in nuts and chocolate pieces. Spread in pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

 

Gingerbread-Pear Tart

Filed under: Desserts — alittlemoreofeach @ 3:18 pm
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From “Better Homes and Gardens.”

 

This is a delicious mix of cheesecake and fruit with both pear and raspberry flavors. Take care, and the presentation will be beautiful. I used two large cans of pears, and the results were delicious.

 

Ingredients

2 cups water

½ cup sugar

2 Tbl lemon juice

5 medium pears, peeled, cored and sliced

1/3 cup seedless red raspberry jam

½ cup butter, cut up

1 (14.5 oz) package gingerbread mix

1 egg yolk

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup sugar

3 eggs

½ tsp vanilla

1 tsp finely shredded lemon peel

 

Directions

In a large saucepan bring the water, the ½ cup sugar and lemon juice to boiling. Add pears. Simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in raspberry jam. Cool 1 hour. (If desired, cover and chill up to 6 hours.) Drain.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place gingerbread mix in a bowl. Using a pastry blender, cut butter into mix until pieces are pea-sized. Stir in egg yolk just until combined. Remove and discard ½ cup of the crumb mixture. Press remaining mixture onto bottom of a 10-inch springform pan. Bake for 25 minutes and then cool completely.

In a medium bowl beat cheese on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the 1/3 cup sugar; beat until light. Add eggs and vanilla; beat on medium speed until combined. Stir in lemon peel. Spoon about half of the cheese mixture into crust.

Spoon drained pears evenly over cheese mixture. Spoon remaining cheese mixture over pears. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until center is set. Cool 30 minutes on rack. Loosen sides of pan. Cover; chill 2 to 24 hours. Remove sides of pan.

 

Peanut Butter Cookies

Filed under: Desserts — alittlemoreofeach @ 3:10 pm
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From the Pillsbury Book of Baking.

 

Ingredients

½ cup sugar

½ brown sugar

½ cup butter, softened

½ cup peanut butter

2 Tbl milk

1 tsp vanilla

1 egg

1 ¾ cup flour

1 tsp baking soda

 

Direction

Cream sugars and butter together. Add peanut butter, milk, vanilla and egg, and mix well. Add in flour and baking soda, and mix well. Use a tablespoon to scoop out the dough onto a cookie sheet. Use a fork dipped in granulated sugar to press hatch-marks in the top of each cookie. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.