Fudge....finally

I am not a candy maker. I have tried 5-6 recipes over three years - of fudge...all failures or just kind of good. This sixth one was my last attempt for this year at it actually turned out nicely! Whew! It is really simple and even I can't "fudge" it up. This is how mine turned out. I put whole pecans on top.

Here is the recipe:
I copied it from this website:http: //www.cookingforengineers.com/recipe/98/Condensed-Milk-Fudge
and the ads came with it (and wouldn't delete - sorry). This recipe recommends using semi-sweet chocolate or dark chocolate which is good if you are a dark chocolate lover like me. If not...I suggest using part milk chocolate and part semi-sweet or mix in other kinds of chocolate chips. Have fun!


Fudge is a soft, finely

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grained (almost gritty) candy made from sugar syrup, cream, and butter. Making sure the sugar forms small fine crystals is essential to producing the right texture. Most traditional fudge recipes require patience, timing, and quick action to produce the right sized crystals. This recipe produces a confection that looks like fudge and tastes like fudge, but without the effort of making fudge from a sugar syrup.

The only ingredients you need for this recipe are one pound of chocolate chips (both semi-sweet and dark work well), 4 Tbs. butter, and a 14 ounce (weight) can of sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk). The chocolate chips can be replaced or blended with peanut butter chips for to make peanut butter fudge or chocolate-peanut fudge. (If you like peanut butter swirls, you'll need to melt the peanut butter chips separately and swirl them in later.) Note that one pound of chocolate chips is the same as three cups of chocolate chips - not two.


This recipe is so easy, you can even do it in the microwave oven. Use a microwave oven safe bowl and microwave until the chocolate is glistening and begins to melt (be careful not to overheat in the microwave or the chocolate will burn). For the purposes of this article, I'll be using a bain-marie. Heating chocolate indirectly over the gentle heat of steam will make it more difficult to overheat.

Throw the butter and chocolate chips into a medium metal bowl or double boiler. Pour the sweetened condensed milk on top.


Fill a small pot with about an inch of water and bring it to a boil. Once it begins to boil, reduce the heat so the water is barely simmering.

Place the metal bowl on top of the pot to make a bain-marie. (If you have a double boiler, by all means, use it instead.) Make sure the bottom of the bowl is suspended above the water level itself (it's best to check this when you first start bringing the water to a boil since working with cool water and an empty bowl is easier than steaming water and a boil filled with two pounds of fudge ingredients.) Make sure the water is gently releasing steam - accidentally allowing too much moisture to settle on your chocolate could cause it to seize resulting in clumping. In my experience, this particular recipe is fairly forgiving, so don't worry too much.


While the ingredients are gently heating, butter an 8 in. square baking dish. I should mention a couple of tips here that may help with unmolding the fudge after it has set. Once the pan is buttered, lay two sheets of plastic wrap or parchment paper down onto the buttered surface. The sheets should be longer than the container (a little more than twelve inches should be fine) and should be laid down perpendicular to each other. The butter will help keep the plastic wrap in place while you pour the fudge and after the fudge is set, you can use the ends that overflow the container to lift out the fudge. In the following pictures, I just buttered the baking pan and had to work at it a little to unmold the fudge one section at a time.


After a few minutes over the heat, start mixing the melting chocolate together with the melting butter. Keep alternating between mixing and heating until all the ingredients are blended together (use your spatula to scape down the sides of the bowl at least once). At this point, if you want to add fancy components (like chopped walnuts, peanut butter for swirling, etc.) do so.


Pour the fudge into the baking dish. Use a spatula to scrape the bowl clean.


Level the fudge with your spatula.


I don't like putting hot items into my refrigerator, so I like to use an aluminum half sheet pan as a heat sink. Pour a little cold water into the pan and place the fudge in the middle of the pan. A few ice cubes will help keep the aluminum cool as it takes on heat from the bottom of the baking pan. After about ten minutes, slip the fudge into the refrigerator for chilling and setting.


Once the fudge has set, about two hours, cut into squares.


This is a fun recipe to play with. Additional ingredients can be melted in or mixed in before pouring. Two different fudges (like chocolate and peanut butter or dark chocolate and white chocolate) can be made and poured on top of each other to produce different effects (try pouring on a top layer before the bottom layer fully sets).

	From Delia's kitchen

Cran-Raspberry Jell-O

I apologize for the poor quality of pictures... I really do feel bad that they look so weird. I'm just not a photographer. But trust me, this Jell-o is delicious, quick, and easy!



Ingredients:
16 oz. can of jellied cranberry sauce
6 oz. box of raspberry jell-o
1 1/2 cups of water
1/2 cup sour cream



Place the jellied cranberry sauce in an electric blender. Dissolve the raspberry Jell-o in mixing bowl with 1 1/2 cups of boiling water. After Jell-o has been stirred and dissolved pour into blender with the cranberry sauce. Blend together until smooth. Pour mixture back into mixing bowl. Add 1/2 cup of sour cream to Jell-o mixture (use a wire whisk to get smooth). Pour into a Jell-o mold and let set over night.



From the kitchen of Tannie Datwyler (courtesy of Brandy Ensign)

German Pancakes

Ingredients:

1 cup milk
1/4-1/2 tsp salt
1 cup flour
6 large eggs
1 tbsp of butter per pancake (if using a 9x13 pan, double amount of butter
8x8 or 9x9 or 9x13 inch GLASS pans

Preheat oven to 450 degrees (depending on thickness of pancakes). Mix together milk, flour eggs, and salt and set aside. When oven is at temperature put one tablespoon of butter in each pand and put in oven until butter sizzles. Take out the pan pour 1/2 cup (double amount if using 9x13 pan) of the mixture immediately into the pan and return to oven. Bake for 10-12 minutes (20 minutes for 9x13 pan).
Good Toppings: Just butter and plain powdered sugar is our favorite. But syrup, jam, or fruit are also good.
From the kichent of Richard and Tannie Datwyler

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

These made-from-scratch noodles are very easy--and I promise, it doesn't take as long as you think! The rest of the soup can be whatever you want it to be. It's nothing fancy, but very filling.

Ingredients

Noodles:
see directions for amounts

eggs
flour

Soup:
suggestions only, modify as you wish

chicken
carrots
celery
onion
chicken bouillon or broth


Directions

Soup:

Cube the chicken and cook as desired (determine amount based on how much soup you want). If you boil the chicken, you can use the water as the soup base. If you fry the chicken, add bouillon to water to make the soup base.


Once you have the soup base heating up on the stove, chop up your vegetables. Put them into the water and bring them to a low boil while making the noodles.

Noodles:

For one serving, start with 2 eggs and one cup of flour. For each additional serving, add 1 egg and 1/2 cup of flour. For my family of four, I usually use 6 eggs and 3 cups of flour.

Mix the flour and eggs together. I find it best to use my hands. If the dough sticks to your fingers, add a little more flour until everything is the same consistency.


Roll the dough out until it is 1/8 of an inch thick. Use flour to keep the dough from sticking to the rolling pin. It's also helpful to flip the dough a few times (roll, turn it over, roll more, turn it over again, roll) so that it does not stick to the counter.


Using a knife or pizza cutter, cut the dough into noodles about 2 inches by 1/2 inch.


Pull the noodles apart, making sure to separate them all from each other.


Add the noodles and the cooked chicken to the boiling soup mixture. As soon as the soup boils again, you're done!


From the kitchen of Laura

Spinach and Artichoke Soup

Spinach and Artichoke Soup

From:Crackers & Co. Café in Mesa, AZ

¾ lbs. margarine

8 oz. diced onion

2 c. flour

2 qt. half and half

1 tsp. white pepper

3 tsp. Tabasco

3 oz. chicken base

1 ½ c. sour cream

1 c. parmesan cheese

Salt to taste

Milk as needed

½ lb. cooked diced spinach

½ of #10 can (about 2 ½ lbs.) diced artichoke hearts

1 TBSP balsamic vinegar

1 tsp. Sherry

In a 4 gallon pot melt margarine on low heat. Add diced onion-sauté for about 5 minutes. Add flour and cook an additional 5 minutes. Add half and half 1 qt. at a time and cook over low heat. Leave heat on low at all times.

Add spices and sour cream, add cheese, sherry, vinegar and cooked drained spinach and artichoke hearts. Stir soup will not burn or stick.

Add more regular milk if soup is too thick. Note this soup will thicken as it cooks, due to being started as Roux base first. Yields 2 ½ gallons

Enjoy!

-Delia

Chocolate Pumpkin Cupcakes

I'm not a fan of pumpkin pie, but I do love the flavor of pumpkin so I try to find ways to use pumpkin that don't include pie! This is my new favorite pumpkin recipe and it is delicious. I found it on MSN a couple weeks ago and finally tried it. I did cupcakes, but it originally is for a 3-layer 8 inch round cake.; due to this fact it makes at least 36 cupcakes depending on how much you fill your cupcake pan.

Cupcake Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup good-quality cocoa
2 tablespoons good-quality cocoa
1 tablesppon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon fresh-grated nutmeg
1 1/2 Cups pumpkin puree
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/3 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
5 large eggs
Orange-Cream Cheese Frosting

Heat oven to 375 degrees (for cake, 350 degrees). Line cupcake pan with liners (for cake lightly buter 3 8-inch cake pans and fit each bottom with an 8-inch circle of parchment paper. Lightly butter parchment paper).
Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl and set aside. Combine the buttermilk, pumpkin, and vanilla in a medium bowl and set aside. Beat the butter, and granulate and brown sugar together in a large bowl with an electric mixer set on medium speedy until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, until the misture is smooth and light. Alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture, blending well after each addition.


Fill each each cupcake with 1/4 cup of batter (for cakes divide the batter among the pans and bake until a wooden skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean -- about 35 minutes. Cool cakes in the pan for 20 minutes. Remove cakes and cool.) Bake cupcakes for 22 minutes.

Orange Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients

1 8 oz package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar
orange food coloring

Blend the cream cheese, butter, orange juice, orange zest, and vanilla in a large bowl using an electric mixer set at medium speed until smooth. Add the sugar and continue mixing until light and creamy -- about 3 more minutes. Add food coloring and gently mix until your color choice is reached. Chill the frosting until ready to ice the cupcakes or cake.

Tips: I bought a big can of pumpkin and you only use a little bit. Pumpkin can be stored in your fridge for 1 week and in your freezer in a container for 3 months. Pumpkin does expand when frozen so make sure your container has enough room to accommodate.


From the kitchen of Megan

Minestrone Soup

1 lb. Italian sausage
1 can of garbanzo beans-DO NOT drain juice from beans
1 large onion

3 garlic cloves

1/2 cup of pasta shells
1 medium zucchini
2 large carrots
2 cans of Italian diced tomatoes (14 oz.)-Drain juice
1/4 lb. fresh green beans
2 celery ribs
6 cups of beef broth
1 tsp. dried oregano
3 cups shredded cabbage
1 medium leek (use white part)
3 tsp. of fresh parsley

Note: I used 1/2 can of kidney beans and 1/2 a can of garbanzo beans and I thought it was really good. Also fresh green beans taste a lot better than canned green beans!

Cook sausage. Cut veggies and combine sausage and all ingredients in a pan EXCEPT for noodles. Simmer until carrots are soft (not too soft) then add noodles and cook until noodles are done. When finished, garnish soup with Parmesan cheese if desired.
* Can use a crock pot if you want too. Let veggies and all ingredients cook on low all day then add noodles a little before dinner and turn up the heat!.*

From the Kitchen of Kelly

Cream Cheese French Toast

This is a new twist on an old favorite.

Ingrediants:
1 loaf French bred (sliced into 1/2-1 inch slices)
4 eggs
1/4-1/2 cup of milk
butter (for frying)

Topping:

1 package cream cheese (8oz) softened
1 cup powder sugar
Fresh or Frozen berries (sweetened with sugar if desired) or freezer jam


Beat your eggs and gradually add milk until egg batter reachers desired consistency (it depends on how eggy you like your French toast, so you decide how much milk to add). Hear skillet or frying pan and drop butter onto pan to grease. Dip both sides of French bread slices into egg and then put directly onto skillet. Fry on both sides until golden brown and no longer gooey (I find it a bit better to cook on a lower heat so that the egg can cook and the bread doesn't burn). Make as many pieces of French toast as desired (you can create more egg batter if needed), and place in a tupperware lined with papper towels to keep warm until ready to serve.

To make topping (I usually make this in advance). Make sure that the cream cheese is soft enough to stir with a spoon. Place it in a bowl and added powdered sugar gradually while stirring by hand (you can also do this with a hand mixer, but I find that I am faster when I don't have to get out extra equipment). Taste periodically and add more sugar to desired sweetness.

Top warm French toast with cream cheese and then berries or freezer jam (I usually use freezer jam in the winter when fresh berries are difficult to come by). Add more powdered sugar if desired. For little kids you can also use syrup like traditional French toast.

Tips:
I don't generally put any cinnamon in the egg batter like I would with traditional French toast since I use cream cheese and berries instead of syrup. If I have left over eggs I like to add a few more eggs and then fry them up like scrambled eggs in the pan (sometimes I'll top them with cheese). I've tried a couple different types of French Bread and I've found that bagged French breads taste the best (my favorite being Sam's Club, but Wal-Mart also carries bagged French bread) because they are a bit softer. Lee's French bread is a bit dryer and more brittle and doesn't turn as well for this French toast.

From the kitchen of Tannie.

White Chili

1 large onion chopped
2 cloves garlic
2 tsp olive oil
4 cups cooked chicken, chopped
3 cans white beans (Caneli's or Great Northern)
4 cups chicken broth
1 can diced green chiles
2 tsp cumin
3 Tbsp lime juice
chopped cilantro

Saute onions and garlic in olive oil until onions are clear. Then add all remaining ingredients. Cook on medium heat for about an hour.
Optional: Garnish with tortilla chips and cheese

From the Kitchen of Kelly

Inexpensive Marshmallow Fondant

From Allrecipes.com

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup butter (or shortening...I find that shortening is easier to work with)
  
• 1 (16 ounce) package miniature marshmallows
• 4 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 pounds confectioners' sugar, divided

DIRECTIONS

1. Place the butter in a shallow bowl, and set aside.
2. Place the marshmallows in a large microwave-safe bowl, and microwave on High for 30 seconds to 1 minute to start melting the marshmallows. Carefully stir the water and vanilla extract into the hot marshmallows, and stir until the mixture is smooth. Slowly beat in the confectioners' sugar, a cup at a time, until you have a sticky dough. Reserve 1 cup of powdered sugar for kneading. The dough will be very stiff.
3. Rub your hands thoroughly with butter, and begin kneading the sticky dough. As you knead, the dough will become workable and pliable. Turn the dough out onto a working surface dusted with confectioners' sugar and continue kneading until the fondant is smooth and no longer sticky to the touch, 5 to 10 minutes.
4. Form the fondant into a ball, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. To use, allow the fondant to come to room temperature, and roll it out onto a flat surface dusted with confectioners' sugar.

I love how easy and CHEAP it is to make this fondant. I am a total novice at cake decorating but I had fun trying it out. Here are some tips:

When trying to cover a whole cake, roll it out on wax paper with a rolling pin covered in powdered sugar (use the sugar like you would flour in other recipes basically). Then lay it on the cake and peel the wax paper off.

You can use a moist finger to smooth the fondant as you need, or a smooth frosting knife.

It cuts better with a knife that is not serrated in anyway.
Do not make the mistake I made. If you are using white fondant, then do not use chocolate frosting underneath. It shows easier.

To color the fondant just knead in a couple of drops of food coloring or gel as desired.
If it is too stiff to work with after you have stored it in the fridge and let it warm up to room temp. then stick it in the microwave for 5-10 seconds.

Do not store a finished cake in the fridge. Store it covered at room temp. for three days tops. I hear the fridge can build up moisture underneath the fondant and make it go bad faster.

Comment if you have more questions. If you try it...post it on your blog and let us know by commenting as well! Have fun!

Chicken Enchiladas

My husband's favorite dinner is chicken enchiladas. This recipe is really easy and yummy to make!

2 cups boiled chicken, cubed
3 cans Cream of Chicken Soup
1 pckg. of cream cheese
1 can green chilies
1 16 oz. container of Sour cream
1 pckg. plain tortillas
2 cups grated cheddar cheese


Mix chicken, 2 cans of cream of chicken soup, cream cheese, sour cream, and green chilies together. Separate mixture into tortillas. Place filled tortillas in a 9x13 pan. Add the last can of cream of chicken soup to left over filling and pour over enchiladas. Cover with grated cheese and bake at 350 for 40 minutes. For the last five minutes of baking time, turn your oven to the broiler and allow the cheese to brown just a little on top and enjoy!


From the Kitchen of: Megan

Zucchini Cookies

1/2 c. shortening
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1 c. raw unpeeled zucchini, grated (If you use some you've frozen, just let it thaw & do not drain the water/juice that's in the bag).
2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda
1 c. raisins or chocolate chips (optional)
½ - 1 c. chopped nuts - doesn't matter what kind (optional)

Mix dry ingredients together in a medium sized bowl and set aside. In a Bosch, Kitchenaid, or large bowl (using hand beaters) cream the shortening and sugars, then beat in egg. Next add zucchini and mix until incorporated. Sift in the dry ingredients and mix well. Stir in raisins/chocolate chips and nuts by hand. Drop onto ungreased cookie sheet & bake at 350 for 15 min.

These cookies taste almost like pumpkin chocolate chip and are a great way to use up your zucchini!

From the Kitchen of: Tannie

Porkchops with Tomatoe Relish

3 small tomatoes, diced
6 green onions
3/4 cup cucumber, diced
3/4 cup Russian dressing
6 tsp white vinegar
3/4 tsp dried tarragon leaves
1 1/2 tsp prepared mustard
4 pork chops

Mix tomato, cucumber and onions in a small bowl. Mix dressing, vinegar, tarragon, and mustard in a seperate small bowl. Stir 3/4 of the dressing mixture into the tomato mixture.
Broil pork chops. Brush with remaining dressing mixture. Serve with tomato relish. We like to put the relish on the pork chop and rice!

From the kitchen of Kelly.

Black Bean Soup

This is...hands down...my favorite soup. Even my husband loves it and my kids, a picky four year old, and older baby will eat some.

This is from my favorite cookbook: The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook
but modified to fit how I cook it, plus pictures.

Serves 6 to 8
Prep time: 15 minutes, Total time: 50 minutes

1 TBSP vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped fine
1 jalapeno chile, stemmed, seeded and minced
6 garlic cloves minced
2 tsp. chili powder
dash of cayenne pepper or "red ground pepper"
4 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
salt to taste
limes weges (opt - but I LOVE it with it so I wouldn't dream of leaving it out)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro (opt)

Heat oil in Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat until shimmering. Cook onion, jalapeno and garlic until softened, about 5 minutes.

Stir in chili powder and red pepper. Cook for about 1 minute.
Rinse beans. Add beans, broth, salt, and 1 1/2 cups of water to pot. Bring to simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
Blend three cups of soup in blender until smooth. Sorry for lack of picture. This part is a little tricky. The hot soup creates a lot of pressure in the blender and can make a mess. I have had this soup pop the lid off by sheer pressure build up even with me pushing down on the top. Unless you have a vitamix, be sure to adjust the lid to release the steam as you blend.
Add mixture back to the soup and add remaining 1/2 cup of water if necessary.
Off heat, season the soup with lime wedges and salt. You can also add cilantro, avocado, and sour cream.

Add some yummy cornbread or tortillas...I made squash cornbread casserole... and you have a light vegetarian meal.

We ended the night with a virgin pina colada shake also from this blog. Click here.

enjoy!