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

Almond Chicken Casserole

Ingredients:
1 can French-style green beans
1 pound cooked egg noodles
8 ounces of plain yogurt
½ Cup mayonnaise
1 Cup chicken broth
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon parsley
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
3 Cups shredded, cooked chicken
1 Cup slivered almonds
1/3 Cup Parmesan cheese

Directions:
In a bowl, combine yogurt, mayonnaise, broth, salt, parsley, and garlic powder.

In a 3 quart casserole layer half of the noodles, green beans, chicken, almonds, cheese and yogurt mixture; repeat.

Cover and bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

Serves 6 - 8

Source unknown

Breakfast Cake

Most people call this a coffee cake with a struesel topping, but that name confused my children since we don’t drink coffee. So I started calling it Breakfast Cake.

Ingredients:

3 Cups flour

1 ½ Cups sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 beaten eggs

1 ¾ Cups milk

½ Cup cooking oil

Topping:

2 Cups chopped nuts

½ Cup packed brown sugar

2 Tablespoons flour

3 Tablespoons butter or margarine, softened

2 teaspoons cinnamon

Directions:

Stir together 3 Cups of flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

Combine eggs, milk and oil in separate bowl, then add to flour mixture and mix well.

Pour into a greased 9” x 13” pan.

Combine nuts, brown sugar, 2 Tablespoons of flour, butter and cinnamon. Sprinkle over cake batter.

Bake at 375 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes clean when poked in the center.

Taken from: Better Homes and Garden New Cookbook

Hot Chocolate Cookies

These are great winter cookies!

Ingredients:

1 C Butter, room temperature
1 C granulated sugar
⅔ C packed brown sugar
2 whole large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3-¼ C flour
4 packages (1 oz. Packets, NOT Sugar-free) Hot Chocolate Mix
1 tsp salt
1-¼ tsp baking soda
1 C white chocolate chips
1 C milk chocolate chips
1 C semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream butter and sugars together until well blended. Add in eggs and vanilla.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, hot chocolate mix, salt and baking soda. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in 3 to 4 parts, making sure all is incorporated.
Fold in chips.

Scoop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper. (I pressed the dough a little to help flatten it out.) Bake for 9-11 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan.

Taken from: Your Homebased Mom

Hershey's Best Brownies

These are my specialty! I get a lot of requests to make these brownies; I almost have the recipe memorized. I hope you enjoy them as much as we do.

Ingredients:

1 C butter

2 C sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

4 eggs

¾ Cups cocoa

1 C flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

1 Cup chopped nuts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Grease 13” x 9” pan. Microwave butter for 2 minutes, or until its melted. Stir in sugar and vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Add cocoa, beat until well blended. Add flour, baking powder, and salt; beat well. Stir in nuts. Bake for 30 - 35 minutes, until sides just pull away from pan.

Taken from: Hershey Homemade Cookbook

Favorite Chili

This kid friendly chili recipe has won two awards. Just last week, I walked off with a cute Thanksgiving apron as a prize in the church chili cook-off.

Ingredients:
2 cans of kidney beans
2 cans of tomato sauce
1 pound browned ground beef
1 Tablespoon dried minced onions
2 teaspoons garlic powder
3 Tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons cumin

Directions:
Place ingredients in a crock pot and stir together. Cover and cook on low for 10 to 12 hours, or on high for 5 to 6 hours.

Serve with cornbread.

Serves 8 - 10 people.

Taken from: Rival Slow Cooker Recipe Book
Adapted by: Raejean

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.

Browned Butter Cookies

1 Cup butter, softened

1 Cup sugar

3 egg yolks

pinch of salt

1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/3 Cup flour

Browned Butter Frosting (see below)

Mix butter and sugar together in a bowl. Add in egg yolks, salt, soda and vanilla. Stir in flour and mix until combined. Form dough into one inch balls. Chill dough on a cookie sheet for about 1 hour in the refrigerator. Dip the bottom of a drinking glass into sugar and then press the ball of dough flat (about 1/4 inch) Bake cookies on an ungreased cookie at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until lightly golden.

Allow to cool on cookie sheet for a minute and then remove to a cooling rack.

Browned Butter Frosting

1/2 Cup butter

4 Cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 Cup heavy cream or 1/2 and 1/2

In a small pan brown butter over medium heat. Watch closely. Allow it to just turn golden brown, flecks will appear. Butter will get foamy. Stir often to make sure it browns evenly. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Add in powdered sugar, vanilla and cream. Beat in mixer on medium high until it has a creamy texture. Frost cooled cookies.

Taken from Your Homebased Mom who took it from 101 Gourmet Cookies for Everyone by Wendy Paul.

Chinese Almond Cookies

Ingredients:
2 3/4 Cups flour
1 Cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Cup shortening
1 slightly beaten egg
2 Tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon almond extract
48 Whole almonds

Directions:
Stir flour sugar, baking soda and salt. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles cornmeal. Mix in egg, milk and almond extract. Shape into 1 inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Place an almond in the center of each cookie and flatten slightly.
Bake at 325 degrees for 16 to 18 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Makes about 48 cookies

Taken from: Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook (1981)

S'mores Cookies

Ingredients:

1½ cups all purpose flour

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

¾ cup (1½ sticks) butter, softened

¾ cup sugar

¾ cup brown sugar

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs

1 cups miniature chocolate chips

1½ cups mini marshmallows

2 Hershey bars, chopped

Directions:

In a stand mixer, combine the butter and sugars until fluffy. Mix in egg and vanilla until combined. Add the flour, graham crackers, salt, and baking soda, mix well. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Refrigerate dough for about an hour. Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Drop by rounded tablespoon onto cookie sheets. Bake for 8 minutes, and remove from the oven. Push 3 to 4 marshmallows and a few pieces of a Hershey’s bar into each cookie. Return to the oven and bake an additional 2-3 minutes until fully cooked. Cool cookies on a wire rack.

Makes 3 dozen cookies.

Taken from: Jennifer's Road Trip