WINTER WHITE RED VELVET FUDGE - MICROWAVE METHOD

INGREDIENTS
3 cups sugar
¾ cup butter
⅔ cup half & half*
1 12-ounce bag white chocolate chips
1 7-ounce jar marshmallow creme**
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, about 6 ounces
3 tablespoons red food coloring (I use liquid)

INSTRUCTIONS
Spray a 9-inch square pan lightly with cooking spray, then line it with a double thickness of foil (this will make it much easier to lift out of the pan later) with ends of foil extending over sides. Spray lightly again and wipe out any excess spray with a paper towel.

Place semi-sweet chocolate chips and food coloring in a heat-safe bowl. Set aside.
Place butter in a large microwave-safe bowl. Be sure to use a large bowl as the mixture will bubble up furiously while cooking. Also, make sure the bowl is made of a microwave-safe material, otherwise it will become very hot and you could burn yourself when removing it from the microwave. I use a large glass bowl. Cover with a paper towel to prevent spattering. Cook on high for 1½ minutes or until butter is melted.
Add sugar and half and half; mix well. Microwave on high power for 3 minutes, stir and cook another 2 minutes. Stir well. If butter seems to separate out of the mixture, don't worry, just keep stirring till it mixes back in. Scrape down sides of bowl and return to microwave. Microwave 3 more minutes, stir again, then finish with another 2½ minutes in the microwave.

Remove from microwave, add marshmallow creme and stir. Add white chocolate chips and vanilla. Stir until very smooth and all ingredients are well incorporated.
Immediately, transfer about ½ of the hot white chocolate mixture to the bowl you prepared in step 2. (The white chocolate mixture will be very hot and will melt the dark chocolate chips). Stir well with a strong handled spatula or wooden spoon until chocolate chips are completely melted and incorporated.

Working quickly, with two clean medium-size ice cream scoops or 2 tablespoons, plop scoops of each mixture in a random pattern into a prepared pan.

When complete, lift up pan and drop from about 1-inch above work surface. Repeat several times to remove any air bubbles. Jiggle pan to smooth surface then take a small knife, coated with a bit of butter and run the blade back and forth through the fudge to create the swirly effect. Use the blade, (like you're cutting something) not the flat part of the knife to do this. Check out the picture, see the pattern on the right? That's with the blade, on the left, I used the flat edge, not so pretty! Winter White Red Velvet Fudge - A delicious, beautiful fudge for any season; not just winter! Try it for your next party; or for fun gifts to give relatives, neighbors, and friends.

Cool completely. Use foil handles to lift fudge from pan before cutting into squares.

Chocolate Caramel and Pecan Turtle Clusters

 

 

Ingredients:

 

•     2 1/2 C pecans
•     1/2 C butter (I use salted)
•     1 C brown sugar
•     1/2 C light corn syrup
•     7 ounces sweetened condensed milk (1/2 of a 14 ounce can)
•     1/2 t vanilla
•     1 (12 ounce) package milk chocolate chips
•     1/2 t shortening (I use butter flavored Crisco)

Instructions:
    1. Toss 2 1/2 cups of pecans into a large skillet. Toast them over medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until they have darkened just a bit and smell fragrant and wonderful. Should only take a few minutes.

    2. Find yourself 2 large cookie sheets. Line them with parchment paper and spray it with cooking spray. Arrange your pecans into clusters, three to a group works well. You want to leave some space (about an inch) between each cluster.

    3. Make your caramel (full tutorial with pictures found here). Place 1/2 C butter into a medium-sized sauce pan. Melt it over medium high heat. Add  1 C brown sugar, 1/2 C light corn syrup and 7 ounces sweetened condensed milk to the pan. Increase the heat just a bit and stir it continually. Cook and stir until it reaches 235-240 degrees. I generally remove it from the heat when it reaches about 234 degrees. It will continue to rise in temperature just a bit even without the direct heat, making the caramel just the right texture.
   
    4. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.
    
    5. Carefully drizzle about 1 1/2 teaspoons of caramel over each nut cluster. You’ll want to work quickly, as the caramel will begin to set up. Be sure there is caramel touching all of the nuts in your cluster. The caramel works like glue, sticking the nuts together.
    
    6. In a microwave safe bowl pour 12 ounces of milk chocolate chips. Heat in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time, stirring after each cooking interval.
    
    7. Add 1/2 teaspoon of shortening to the melted chocolate. Allow it to sit for a minute or two (so it can melt and make the chocolate chips more spreadable). Stir it all together.

    8. Spoon about 1 1/2 teaspoons of melted chocolate over the top of the caramel and nuts. Swirl it around along the top making a pretty swoop with your spoon.
    
    9. Allow the chocolate to set up. Once it has hardened and cooled you can serve them immediately, or transfer them to an air tight container.

Recipe by;  http://fattaincassa.blogspot.ca/2014/09/chocolate-caramel-and-pecan-turtle.html?m=1

Almond Joy Recipe

 

I’ve been working on the perfect Almond Joy Recipe.  This Almond Joy Recipe is it. It tastes JUST LIKE the real thing, without all the junk. If you exclude the almonds than you’re looking at a Mounds Bar Recipe. To each their own, but I prefer the nuts!

The below will yield 6 small Almond Joy Bars.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Cup Shredded Coconut (Packed Lightly)
3 Tablespoons Unrefined Virgin Coconut Oil
2 Tablespoons Honey
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1/8 Tsp. Sea Salt
6 Unsalted Almonds
3 oz Chocolate (Chocolate Chips or Chocolate Bar is fine)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Add the coconut, coconut oil, honey, vanilla and sea salt to a food processor. Combine for about 2-3 minutes until a thick paste-like ball is formed. If it’s runny, and you can’t form a ball in your hand, keep mixing for another 2 minutes.

2. Line a flat plate with parchment paper. Gently scoop out a full teaspoon of coconut mixture and form into a “bar” so it resembles an actual candy bar.

3. Top each “bar” with an almond. Press firmly so the almond stays put, but the mixture won’t fall apart.

4. Put the plate in the freezer for 30 minutes, so the coconut bars can firm up.

5. After 30 minutes, melt the chocolate in 15 second increments in the microwave. Chocolate burns VERY quickly so after each 15 seconds, take it out and stir it! Even if it looks like it’s not melted, once you give it a good stir it may very well be good to go.

6. Using either your fingers or a toothpick, dip the bottom portion of the frozen coconut bars into the melted chocolate. Once the bottom is covered, place them back onto the parchment paper. Repeat until all are covered.

7. Scoop chocolate over the top of each bars until you can no  longer see any coconut mixture. Heads up – this will be messy!

8. Once all the bars are covered in chocolate take 2 toothpicks and insert them into either side of the almond. Lift up and place on a fresh sheet of parchment paper. Remove the toothpicks and repeat until all the Almond Joy bars are covered in chocolate and on a fresh sheet of parchment paper.

9. Place them back in the freezer for 10 minutes.

10. Enjoy!