Soft Caramels

Janet Tolman gave me this recipe years ago and it's been a keeper!  Makes the perfect little bite, not too soft or too hard! And anything with Sweetened Condensed Milk has my approval!

2 cubes/sticks of butter
2 cups brown sugar, packed
1 cup Light Karo/Corn syrup
1/8 tsp. salt
1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:
Butter a 9x13 pan very well.
Melt 2 sticks of butter in a heavy saucepan. Add 2 cups brown sugar and mix well.  When dissolved and smooth, add 1 c. Karo/corn syrup and 1/8 tsp salt.  Mix until smooth. Add 1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk.
Add a Candy Thermometer to your saucepan, and stir constantly until it's at a Soft Ball stage, approximately 12-15 minutes.
Remove from heat, add vanilla, and pour into a 9x13 well-buttered pan.  Once the caramel has set, you can turn it out onto waxed paper.  Cut into 1" pieces/strips.  Each piece can be put on a waxed paper square and rolled with the ends twisted.

Debbie's Pumpkin Bars

Mix together:

2 cups pumpkin

4 eggs

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup applesauce

1 cup oil

Then add:

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons cinnamon

Mix together until smooth. Spray a sheet cake size pan with Pam.  Bake @350 for 20 minutes.

When cool frost with the following:

1/2 c. butter (1 stick)

4 ounces of cream cheese (1/2 block)

3 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon almond flavoring

BYU MINT BROWNIES

Recipe from BYU Magazine, courtesy of Sugar & Spice and the Cougareat  Food Court.

Click here to print recipe for BYU Mint Brownies 

MAKES ONE 9-BY-13 PAN OF BROWNIES.
PREP AND COOK: 90 min. COOL: 1 hr.

1 c. margarine
1/2 c. cocoa
2 Tbsp. honey
4 eggs
2 c. sugar
1 3/4 c. flour
1/2 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. chopped walnuts (optional)
12 oz. chocolate icing (Use your own icing recipe or use store-bought)

MINT ICING
5 Tbsp. margarine
dash of salt
3 Tbsp. milk
1 Tbsp. light corn syrup
2 1/3 c. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. mint extract
1-2 drops green food coloring

1. Melt margarine and mix in cocoa. Allow to cool. Add honey, eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix well. Add nuts. Pour batter into a greased 9-by-13 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Cool.

2. Prepare mint icing: Soften margarine. Add salt, corn syrup, and powdered sugar. Beat until smooth and fluffy. Add mint extract and food coloring. Mix. Add milk gradually until the consistency is a little thinner than cake frosting.

3. Spread mint icing over brownies. Place brownies in the freezer for a short time to stiffen the icing. Remove from the freezer and carefully add a layer of chocolate icing.

 

Kirse's Cream Cheese Swirl Brownies

One package brownie mix (I prefer dark chocolate or the one with the syrup pouch)

1/3 cup water

1/3 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese softened

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 egg

1 cup chocolate chips

1) Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray bottom of 9x13 pan.

2) Stir Brownie mix, water, oil, and 2 eggs in bowl using spoon. Spread in pan.

3) Beat cream cheese in medium bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Gradually beat in sugar. Beat in vanilla and 1 egg JUST until blended (do not overmix, should be gloppy).

4) Plop cream cheese mixture over brownie batter in pan; cut through mixture with knife several times for marbled design. Sprinkle with chocolate chips.

5) Bake 30-35 minutes or until cream cheese mixture begins to brown and toothpick comes out clean (be sure not to overcook - they are best rather gooey). Cool completely. Cut with plastic knife, store covered in fridge.

Stacey's Blueberry Cream Pie

This pie is AMAZING! Todd and I can each polish off our own in about 24 hours.  So if you go to make it, do a few.  This recipe is for 2 large or 3 smaller pies.  If I have left over crust I'll do them in my mini glass pyrex bowls for a single serving size.  The kids love it like that.  Their own little pie.

Crust:
4 pkgs graham crackers, some chunky, some finely crushed. 
2 cups pretzels crushed
1 cube butter
1/3 cup sugar
press in a pie pan sprayed with pam and bake 350 for 8-9 min.  Let cool.

Filling:
2 pkgs cream cheese or light.  Don's use fat free, won't set and why bother!!!
Blend with mixer on high.
lg tub or 4 cups cool whip topping
2 cups powdered sugar
Blend these with mixer on low speed
2 cups smooshed blueberries or any berry of choice
2 cups whole berries folded in.

Add to cooled crusts and chill for several hours. 
Enjoy!!!

Cindy Elmer's Pumpkin Roll

3 eggs
1 c sugar
2/3 c pumpkin
1 tsp lemon juice
3/4 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 c nuts


1) Beat eggs for 3 minutes.
2) Add wet ingredients.
3) Then add dry ingredients.
4) Place a piece of wax paper on a cookie sheet. Spread mixture onto the wax paper, sprinkle with 1 cup finely chopped nuts.
5) Bake at 375 degrees for 15 min. or until light brown.
6) Turn it upside down on a heavily sprinkled powdered sugared hand towel. Roll up & put into your refridgerator to cool.

FILLING:  

1) 1 c. powdered sugar
2) 4 Tbsp. butter
3) 8 oz. cream cheese (Room temp)
4) 1/2 tsp. vanilla
5) Beat until smooth. Unroll the cake & spread w/ filling and reroll it back up.
6) Chill & then make slices about every inch. Place each circle on a nice tray.
7) This is YUMMY and it is easier than it sounds.

Jen's "No-Fail" English Toffee

14 Tbsp. butter (1 stick, plus 6 tbsp) - use the remaining 2 tbsp. from your 2nd stick to butter your cookie sheet
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 Tbsp. cold water
1/2 cup chopped almonds or pecans (optional)
1 tsp. vanilla
dash salt
6 oz. chocolate chips (milk chocolate or semi-sweet)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Generously butter a cookie sheet.  You can use the 2 tbsp. left from the 2nd stick of butter.
2. Place butter, sugar, and water into a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat (approx. an 8 on my stove). Using a wooden spoon or spatula, bring to a bubbling boil, stirring constantly, about 10 minutes. It will go from a bright butter yellow color, to a light tan, to a peanut butter color.
3. Place a peanut bar jar upside down near your saucepan and when the color of the toffee matches the color of the peanut butter, it's done. Make sure the color matches perfectly! You don't want to take if off the burner too soon, or too late.
4. Remove from heat and add 1 tsp. vanilla.  This will give a small chemical reaction.  Keep stirring. Add nuts and a dash of salt. Mix together.
5. Pour out onto your buttered cookie sheet.  Do NOTspread.  Use your spatula or spoon to move the sides of the toffee to the shape you desire, as your toffee won't fill your entire cookie sheet.
6. After about 2-3 minutes, and the toffee starts to harden, sprinkle your chocolate chips on top.  Let them sit for a couple of minutes.
7. With the back of a spatula, start spreading your melting chocolate over the toffee. It should smooth out. 
8. Set in fridge for at least 1 hour for chocolate to set up.  Break into pieces and store in an airtight container, or place into treat bags.
9. Wig out over the fact you just made the perfect batch of toffee!  :)  YUM!

Creamy Lemon Bars from Kelsi Clanton's Wedding

CRUST:
20 Nilla Wafers, finely crushed (yes, I counted them out)
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick, or 4 oz.) cold real butter

FILLING:
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese (you can use 1/3-less fat cream cheese)
1 cup granulated white sugar
2 eggs
2 Tbsp. flour
1/4 tsp. Baking Powder
1 Tbsp. lemon zest – (1 lemon yields about 1 Tbsp of zest -only use the yellow part, do not zest too deep)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice ( 2 lemons yield about ¼ cup of juice - depends how juicy the lemons are)

GARNISH: Powdered Sugar, Lemon Zest

Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Line 8-inch square baking pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan. (Tip: Foil will adhere nicely to your 8x8 pan if you splash a bit of water in the pan before placing the foil inside). Spray foil lightly with non-stick spray and set aside. (The foil isn’t too pretty, but it makes clean-up and cutting the bars a cinch!)
In a bowl, combine Nilla Wafer crumbs, 1/2 cup flour and the brown sugar. Chop butter into small pieces and then cut into crumb mixture with a pastry blender. If you don’t have a pastry blender, just use 2 knives, or even your fingers to break up the butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Press crumb mixture firmly onto bottom of prepared pan.
Bake 15 min.
While crust is cooking, beat cream cheese and granulated sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended.
Add 2 eggs, 2 Tbsp. flour, and ¼ tsp. baking powder; mix well.
Blend in 1 Tbsp. lemon zest, and ¼ cup lemon juice and then pour mixture over baked crust.
Bake 30 min. or until center is set. (Mine take 32 minutes). Cool completely. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight. These bars improve with time.
Lift foil right out of the pan and sprinkle with powdered sugar and grated lemon peel/zest just before cutting into squares to serve. Store leftover squares in refrigerator. (As if you'll have leftovers!)
This made 35 bite-size squares.

http://www.ourbestbites.com/2008/04/creamy-lemon-bars/

Shana's Snickerdoodles

1 c. Shortening                                              
2 Eggs                                                       
1 ½ c. Sugar                     
2 ¾ c. Flour                                                       
2 tsp. Cream of Tartar                                     
1 tsp.  Baking Soda
½ tsp.  Salt
4 tsp.  Sugar
2 tsp.  Cinnamon




1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cream shortening, sugar and eggs. 
3. Sift and stir flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt.  Mix together and chill.
4. Roll into small balls, then roll in sugar and cinnamon mixture.  Place on a baking tray 2” apart and bake 8-10 minutes. Do not press down.
5. They will be puffy and then crinkle. Cool on rack.

Stacey's Sweet & Salty Chex Mix

8 cups corn chex
4 cups rice chex
4 cups wheat chex
1 lb. raisins (or ½ raisins, ½ craisins)
8 oz. sunflower seeds, without shells
12 oz. of nuts (cashews, peanuts, almonds, etc.)

1. Mix all that in a large roasting pan, or divide into 2 lg. bowls for mixing.

Sauce Mix
1 ½ c. sugar
1 ½ c. light corn syrup (Karo)
2 cubes + 2 Tbsp. butter

1. Melt together on stove in saucepan and bring to a boil.
2. Once it boils, boil for 2 minutes while continually stirring.
3. Pour mixture over your chex mix and coat all the cereal.

*May transfer to goodie bags. It will seem gooey at first, but it will set up as it cools. Will keep for 1 week in a goodie bag or sealed container.

Elaine Gunter's Christmas Fudge

Prep 1st: Get stove hot, heat to high, and grease pan(s) and have dry ingredients ready.

INGREDIENTS:

Bring to boil:

4 ¼ c. white sugar

1 can (12 oz.) Evaporated Milk

ADD:

12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 cubes (1 cup) margarine or butter

1 ea. 7 oz. Hershey Bar (Milk Chocolate)

1-2 tsp. vanilla

1 ea. 7 oz. jar Marshmallow Crème

DIRECTIONS:

In approx. a 5 qt. stainless steel stockpot, combine white sugar & evaporated milk. Bring to a rolling boil. Reduce heat to med-high (enough to keep the boil, without scorching bottom of pan) and boil for 8 minutes.

Stir constantly.

After 8 minutes, remove from heat and add the remaining ingredients.
Mix together using an electric blender until smooth.

If adding pecans, add them now.

Then pour into a greased 9x13 pan or individual Ziploc Glad plastic containers. Refrigerate until set. Keeps refrigerated up to 2 weeks. May be frozen.

Jen's Blackberry and Peach Cobbler

½ c. sugar
2 c. blackberries
1 c. peaches, sliced (approx. 3 peaches)
5 tbsp. butter
1 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup sugar
½ tsp. salt
¾ c. milk


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix together the ½ c. sugar, blackberries & peaches. Set aside.
3. Melt butter into a baking pan or a large deep pie dish.
4. Sift together: Flour, baking powder, sugar and salt.
5. Add the milk to the dry ingredients.
6. Pour fruit batter into baking dish over melted butter. Do not mix.
7. Pour batter over fruit, but do not mix.
8. Place in oven, and bake for 50 minutes at 350 degrees.

Serve w/ ice cream.

Hot Fudge Sauce

6 Tbsp. butter
2 c. powdered sugar
1/3 c. cocoa
1 c. evaporated milk

1. Combine ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a light boil, stirring constantly.

Texas Sheet Cake (Pioneer Woman's)

Combine in a mixing bowl:
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

In a saucepan, melt:
2 sticks butter.
Add 4 heaping tablespoons cocoa. Stir together.
Add 1 cup boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat.
Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.

In bowl, pour 1/2 cup buttermilk. (If you don't have buttermilk, pour 1/2 cup milk and add 1/2 tsp. vinegar and let sit for 5 minutes).
Add:
2 beaten eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla

Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into Pam-sprayed sheet cake pan and bake at 350-degrees for 18-20 minutes.

While cake is baking, make icing:

Chop 1/2 cup pecans finely.
Melt 1 3/4 sticks butter in a saucepan.
Add 4 heaping tablespoons cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat.
Add:
6 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar
Stir together. Add pecans, stir together, and pour over warm cake.