leftover frosting of any type
salted soda crackers in sheets of 4, (if you can find them,) OR individual crackers packed in sleeves
lay out the crackers, salt side down on a cookie sheet, counter, or platter. spread the unsalted side with frosting.
makes as many crackers as you have frosting to top
18 oz semisweet chocolate morsels
14 oz sweetened condensed milk
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup coarsely chopped hazlenuts
melt chocolate with sweetened condensed milk in a heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. add remaining ingredients and spread into a well greased 8″ or 9″ square pan. chill two to three hours. cut into squares and store tightly covered at room temperature.
makes approx 2 1/2 lbs of fudge
APRICOT FILLING:
2 cups water
2 cups dried apricots
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
CRUST:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup old-fashioned OR quick-cooking oats
3/4 cup 10x sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted & cooled
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
prepare the filling. in a medium saucepan, heat the water and apricots to a boil. reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. the apricots will be soft. drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid; discard the remaining liquid.
using a food processor, puree the apricots. return the apricots to the saucepan and add the sugar, cornstarch, and the reserved cooking liquid. cook over medium-low heat, stirring for 1 minute, or until the filling thickens. cool.
while the filling cools, prepare the crust. in a lg bowl, combine the flour, oats, and sugar with an electric mixer. beat in the melted butter, cinnamon, and baking soda, then continue until the mixture forms crumbs, about 1 minute. reserve 1 cup of the crumbs for the topping. press the remaining crumbs evenly into the bottom of an ungreased 8″ baking pan.
spread the apricot filling over the crust. sprinkle with the reserved topping. bake in the center of the oven fdor 30-40 minutes, or until the fillng is set and the crust is firm. cool completely on a wire rack.
using a small sharp knife, cut into bars.
makes 30 bars
2 cups pecan halves
1 egg white
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbs ground cinnamon
preheat the oven to 300 degrees. stir pecans into egg white until all sides are moist & sticky. sprinkle cinnamon & sugar over nuts, then stir until well coated. spread evenly onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes. cool and store in an airtight container at room temperature.
makes approx 2 cups
3/4 cup (packed) flour
3/4 sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup softened butter (1 stick, 1/4 lb)
2 eggs
2 (1 oz) squares unsweetened chocolate
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup chopped walnuts OR pecans
1 (10.5 oz) pkg mini marshmallows (you’ll use about 3/4 of a pkg)
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
preheat the oven to 350 degrees with the rack in the middle position.
melt your chocolate first so that it has time to cool. unwrap the two squares of the unsweetened chocolate and place them in a microwave-safe bowl. heat them for 1 minute on HIGH. let them sit in the microwave for another minute and then take them out and stir them to make sure they’re melted. (if they’re not, heat them again in 15 second intervals until they are.) set the bowl with the chocolate on the counter to cool while you mix up the rest of the recipe.
combine the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a mixer. beat them together on slow speed until they’re combined.
add the softened butter and beat well until the mixture is light and fluffy.
add the eggs and beat well.
check your chocolate to make sure it’s not too hot that it will cook the eggs. if it’s cool enough, add it to your bowl. if it’s not, wait until it is. mix in the chocolate thoroughly.
add the vanilla and the half cup of chopped nuts. mix thoroughly.
grease (or spray with nonstick cooking spray) a 9″x13″ cake pan. pour in the batter and smooth the top as evenly as you can with a rubber spatula.
bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
take the pan from the oven and immediately pour the mini marshmallows in a single layer over the top. this should take about 3/4 of a 10.5 oz bag. work quickly to spread them out as evenly as you can.
cover the pan with foil crimped down tightly over the sides, or with a spare cookie sheet for 20 minutes. you want the mini marshmallows to melt on the bottom and attach themselves nicely to the hot chocolate fudge bars.
when 20 minutes have passed, melt 2 cups of semisweet chocolate chips in the microwave on HIGH for 2 minutes. stir the chips smooth and spread the melted chocolate over the marshmallows as evenly as you can. set the pan on a wire rack to cool.
when the bars are cool and the chocolate on top has hardened, cut them into brownie-sized pieces and serve. if you want to hasten the hardening of the chocolate, slip the pan into the refrigerator for 30 minutes or so, and then take it out to cut the bars.
arrange the bars on a pretty platter and serve for a luscious treat. you can store any leftovers in a tightly covered container.
makes approximately 24 bars
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup
2 tbs unsalted butter
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
4 cups rice krispies cereal
1/2 cup white OR semisweet chocolate chips, melted, for decoration
line a 9″x13″ baking sheet with aluminum foil, then lightly butter the foil.
in a small heavy saucepan, mix the brown sugar & corn syrup & bring to a simmer, stirring often until the sugar dissolves. stir in the butter & chocolate chips, & continue stirring until melted & smooth. stir in the peanut butter. remove from the heat.
in a large bowl, toss the cereal with the warm chocolate- peanut butter mixture until well combined; work quickly, before the chocolate sets. spoon the mixture into the prepared pan, pressing it down firmly with the back of a lightly oiled fork or your oiled fingertips.
using a pastry bag fitted with a plain round tip or a small plastic bag, pipe the melted chocolate in a zigzag pattern over the cereal mixture. let stand until set, about 30 minutes.
with a small sharp knife, cut into bars.
makes 30 bars
CRUST:
2 1/2 cups bisquick
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup cold butter OR margarine
1/2 cup chopped pecans
FILLING:
8 cups thinly sliced, peeled apples (about 5 large)
1 (6 oz) bag sweetened dried cranberries
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbs cinnamon
1(8 oz) container sour cream
3 eggs
1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream
preheat oven to 375°. spray a 15″x10″ baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
in a large bowl mix bisquick, oats and brown sugar. cut in butter using pastry blender, (or by pulling 2 table knives through the ingredients in opposite directions), until the mixture is crumbly. remove 1 1/2 cups of the crumb mixture to a small bowl; stir in the pecans. set aside for the topping. pat the remaining crumb mixture into the bottom of the baking pan.
in a large bowl, toss the apples, cranberries, sugar and cinnamon. in a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream and eggs. pour over the apple mixture; toss to coat. spoon filling over the crust; sprinkle reserved crumb/nut mixture over the filling.
bake for 45-55 minutes or until the topping is golden brown and the apples are tender. cool for 30 minutes. cut into 8 rows by 4 rows. serve warm with ice cream.
makes 32 bars
1/2 cup butter
1 cup flour
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1 cup 10x sugar
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 3/4 cups whipped cream, divided
2 small boxes instant lemon pudding mix
3 cups milk
nuts, optional
melt butter; mix with flour & pecans. press into a 9″x13″ pan. bake at 350° for 15 minutes. cool.
mix together 10x sugar, cream cheese, & 1 cup whipped cream; spread over cooled crust. blend lemon pudding mix & milk until thick; spread over the cream cheese layer.
spread remaining whipped cream over mixture. nuts can be sprinkled on top if desired. cover & refrigerate. Cut into bars when chilled.
jazz up your favorite store bought-potato chips. spread the chips on a baking sheet and warm in a 350° oven until they look oily. sprinkle with chili powder, paprika, ground mustard, salt and a tiny pinch of cayenne pepper. let cool before serving.
CRUST:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup 10x sugar
2 tbs grated lemon zest
6 tbs (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
LEMON-LIME FILLING:
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
3 tbs flour
10x sugar for sprinkling
1/4-1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut (optional)
preheat oven to 350°.
prepare the crust: in a medium bowl, or the bowl of a food processor, mix together the flour, sugar, & lemon zest. cut in the butter to make a dough the consistency of coarse cornmeal. or make the dough in a food processor, mixing the dry ingredients, then pulsing in the butter.
press the dough evenly over the bottom of an ungreased 8″ square baking pan. bake the crust in the center of the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until it is just beginning to turn golden around the edges.
while the crust is baking, prepare the filling. in a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat the eggs, sugar, & lemon and lime juices until light, about 2-3 minutes mix in the flour & beat just until combined.
pour the filling over the hot baked crust. bake for 20-25 minutes longer, or until the filling is set. cool completely on a wire rack.
using a small sharp knife, cut into squares. just before you serve, sprinkle the 10x sugar over the squares and, if desired, sprinkle with coconut.
Makes 16 bars
