Fantasy Fudge

I make this every Christmas and sometimes more often. It freezes well, so I usually make a double batch and pull some out as I'm craving it.

Ingredients:

3 Cups sugar
3/4 Cups butter
2/3 c. evaporated milk

2 Cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 (7 oz.) jar marshmallow cream
1 Cups chopped nuts
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Stir together butter, sugar and milk in heavy 2 1/2 to 3 quart saucepan; bring to full boil, stirring constantly. Boil 5 minutes over medium heat or until candy thermometer reaches 234 degrees, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Remove from heat. Gradually stir in chocolate until melted. Add remaining ingredients; mix until well blended. Pour into greased 9 x 9 inch or 13 x 9 inch pan. Cool at room temperature; cut into squares.

Prep time: 10 minutes. Cooking time: 15 minutes. Makes 3 pounds. High Altitude: Decrease recommended temperature (234 degrees) 2 degrees for every 1, 000 feet above sea level. NOTE: Do not substitute sweetened condensed milk for evaporated milk.

Taken from: Kraft marshmallow cream label

Tried and Liked: Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

These muffins actually come from a cake recipe, but I like muffins better!

Here's the original recipe:

Chocolate Zucchini Cake
(Adapted from Something Edible)
The usual suspects:

1/2 cup butter at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 cups grated zucchini, loosely packed
3/4 cup pecans roughly chopped
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons light brown sugar

The prep:
Preheat oven to 350º.
Cream butter and sugar until smooth and fluffy (stand mixer, hand mixer, elbow grease…) Add eggs and vanilla and continue beating/whisking until creamy. Add salt, baking soda, and cocoa; continue whisking until incorporated. Slowly add in flour in thirds, stirring after each addition until fully incorporated. Fold in the grated zucchini. Pour into a greased 9×13″ dish and top with brown sugar, pecans and chocolate chips. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the cake. Keeps nicely covered at room temp for a few days.
Eat up!

I did a few things differently, I obviously put them into a muffin pan instead, and because of that I had to make more topping. I didn't really measure the topping but I would probably do about half of the recipe of topping extra. (Wow I don't know how to say that right, I'm a little tired!) I also added walnuts to my topping and it was so good!

Taken from: Whisk Flip Stir

Ritz Peanut Butter Sandwiches

I don't like to pay extra for something I can easily make. Just like those crackers and peanut butter sandwiches you can buy. I do them myself. These ones I added just a little bit of semi-sweet chocolate to the inside and they were delicious! You'll have to try it!

Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Thumbprint Cookies

Kids love helping with this recipe! They can roll the dough into balls, press their thumbprints into the ball, and fill the print with peanut butter. It sure made my job easier.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 Cups flour
1/3 Cups cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 Cups chocolate chips, divided
1 Cup sugar
1 Cup peanut butter, divided
1/3 Cup softened margarine or butter
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs

Directions:
Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Melt 1 Cup of the chocolate chips.

Beat sugar, 1/3 Cup peanut butter, butter and vanilla in a large mixer bowl until creamy. Beat in melted chocolate. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually mix in flour mixture. Stir in remaining chocolate chips. Cover and chill until firm (about an hour).

Shape dough into 1 1/2" balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheets. Press 1/2" deep thumbprint in each cookie and fill with about 1/2 teaspoon peanut butter.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes, until sides are set but centers are slightly soft. Let stand for 2 minutes, then remove to cooling racks.

Makes about 3 1/2 dozen cookies.

Taken from: Nestle Best Loved Cookies

Chocolate Mousse Praline Pecan Pie

This is one of our traditional Thanksgiving pies, but sometimes I have to make it more often than that!

1/3 Cup butter or margarine
1/4 Cup packed brown sugar
2 Tablespoons water
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
2/3 Cup coarsely chopped pecans
8” graham cracker pie crust
Chocolate Mousse Filling (see below)

In a small microwave-safe bowl, place butter. Microwave at high for 1 minute or until melted. Add brown sugar, water and cornstarch; stir with wire whisk until smooth. Microwave at high for 1 minute of until mixture comes to full boil. Stir in chopped pecans; spread mixture on bottom of crust. Place crust in the freezer while preparing the filling. Prepare the Chocolate Mousse Filling and carefully spread over pecans. Cover and refrigerate for 3 - 4 hours. Refrigerate leftovers. Serves 6 - 8.

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE FILLING
1 1/2 Cups milk, divided
2 squares baking chocolate
1 4 ounce package instant chocolate pudding
1 1/2 Cups Cool Whip

Combine 1 cup of milk and baking chocolate in large microwavable bowl. Microwave on high 2 minutes. Stir till chocolate is completely melted. Stir in remaining milk. Add pudding mix; beat with wire whisk 2 minutes or till well blended. Refrigerate 20 minutes. Gently stir in cool whip.

Original recipe taken from: Hershey's Homemade, we've since modified the chocolate mousse recipe.

Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 Tbsp. milk

Directions:
In one bowl, combine flour, cocoa, salt, baking soda and baking powder; set aside. In another bowl, beat sugar and butter together until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla extract; add the dry ingredients, mix well.

Preheat oven to 350. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place the balls 2-inches apart (the cookies do spread a little) on an ungreased cookie sheet. Push in the center of each ball with your thumb to make an indentation, dip your thumb in flour as needed to get a nice deep impression.

Heat chips and milk in saucepan until the chocolate is melted. Stir this mixture until smooth. Spoon the chocolate into each indentation. You’ll have enough chocolate sauce to “overfill” each indention. Bake 10-12 minutes, until cookies look "dry". Cool on racks. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Chocolate Chip Pancakes

I make these every few weeks at our house, it's a cheaper breakfast than cereal. For you Bisquick users, get a Kitchen Aid, it is just as fast to make the batter this way! Not to mention better tasting!

The 4th of July Flags in the picture are a free printable. Click here to view.

Ingredients:
1 3/4 Cups Flour
2 Tbs. Sugar
1 Tbs. Baking Powder
1/4 tsp. Salt
1 Egg
1 1/2 Cups Milk
3 Tbs. Vegetable Oil (or whatever you have on hand)
3/4 Cup Chocolate Chips

Directions:
Mix the dry ingredients, then add the egg, milk and oil. Mix well, then add the chocolate chips. Another option to help with the chocolate chips sticking to the bowl is to coat them with flour first. I put them in a container with flour and shake it.

Set the skillet at 350 degrees if electric, or medium if it's on the stove. Pour the pancake batter onto your hot skillet and flip when bubbling. Let cook on the other side for a couple of minutes, each side should be a golden brown.

They taste great with our Maple Syrup.

Taken From: Miller, Jan, ed. Better Homes and Gardens: New Cook Book. Des Moines, Iowa: Meredith Corporation, 2006. Simplified by Monica.