4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tbs vanilla
1 cup milk chocolate morsels
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels
1/2 cup white morsels
1 cup coarse chopped nuts
Preheat oven to 375
Combine flour, baking soda and powder in medium bowl and set aside. Beat butter and both sugars in a large bowl until creamy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Gradually beat in flour mixture.
Stir in morsels and nuts.
Drop dough by 1/4 cup portions 2" apart on un-greased baking sheets.
Cook for 12-14 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove and cool on racks.
Notes: Experiment with orange zest, orange juice, cranberry or other such flavors.
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
3 cups confectioners sugar, sifted (we use powdered)
3 cups semisweet chocolate chips, melted
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Various powdered, shaved or small candy coatings
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Gradually beat in sugar until well blended. Stir in melted chocolate and vanilla until no streaks remain. Hand roll into 1 inch balls, then roll into assorted coatings (if desired) and refrigerate for about an hour.
Note: you will be hand rolling for a while, make sure you have enough time / patience / friends / wine.
16 oz semi-sweet chocolate
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
Add chocolate and milk to microwaveable bowl and stir well. Microwave for 1 minute then stir and microwave 1 minute more.
Remove and stir until chocolate is completely melted.
Stir in vanilla and walnuts.
Spread in greased 8-inch square pan. Sprinkle with more nuts if desired.
Refrigerate until firm, cut and serve. Note: if you float the refrigerated pan in warm water for a minute it will slide out and make cutting much easier!
2 lbs peaches (fresh, frozen, canned)
1 (16.25 oz) cake mix, white or yellow
1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a 9x13 pan, add peaches to the bottom - drain juice and/or thaw first.
Melt butter in a bowl in the microwave and add cake mix.
Evenly crumble cake mix over peaches and top with pecans
Bake 40-45 minutes or until golden brown.
Serve with vanilla ice cream.
1 1/2 cups dry roasted peanuts
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 pinch of salt
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
Grease a baking sheet and set aside. In a glass bowl, combine peanuts, sugar, corn syrup and salt stirring well.
Cook in microwave for 6-7 minutes (5 minutes with a 1500 W microwave). Mixture should be bubbly and peanuts browned. Stir in butter and vanilla. Cook 2 minutes longer (1 1/2 minutes in 1500 W microwave). NOTE: Use two spoons together to make mixing easier!
Quickly stir in baking soda, just until mixture is foamy. Mixture will be slightly cooler than the surface of the sun, so please be careful!
Pour immediately onto greased baking sheet and smooth flat. Let cool 15 minutes until set. Break into pieces and store in airtight container.
1 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
6 tbs confectioners sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup confectioners sugar for decoration
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 C).
Cream butter and vanilla until smooth (Kitchen Aid beater works great).
Combine 6 tbs confectioners sugar and flour, then stir into butter mixture. Add pecans and continue until mixed in.
Roll into 1 inch balls and put on un-greased cookie sheet. Bake for 12 minutes.
When cool (important), roll in remaining confectioners sugar. Roll twice for a better experience!
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon Mexican vanilla extract
2 (8 ounce) cans refrigerated crescent rolls
3/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup honey
Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F
Beat the cream cheese with 1 cup of sugar and the vanilla in a bowl until smooth.
Unroll one can of crescent roll dough, and press into greased baking dish.
Spread the cream cheese mixture over dough, then cover with the remaining dough.
Stir together 3/4 cup of sugar, cinnamon, and butter. Dot the mixture over the top of the dough.
Bake in the preheated oven until the dough has puffed and turned golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and drizzle with honey.
Cool completely before cutting into 1" squares.
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup butter
chololate chips
chopped almonds
Melt butter and add brown sugar in an open saucepan with a candy thermometer.
Stirring constantly, heat to hard crack stage (just over 300 F). Use a candy thermometer!
Pour over bed of chopped almonds on an un-greased cookie sheet.
Sprinkle with chocolate chips and allow to melt. Spread melted chocolate evenly.
Top with more chopped almonds.
Allow to cool, then break into bite size pieces.
Note: As you can imagine, the toffee is nuclear hot and sticky. Please exercise caution. The thermometer is key.