Holiday Candy- Part 2 Peanut Butter Fudge with Chocolate

Ingredients:

1 cup peanut butter 

1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk 

3 cups sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla

3 tablespoons butter

1 package almond bark (chocolate)

Vegetable oil or extra butter

Supplies: Large pot, candy thermometer, double boiler, wooden ladle, waxed paper or shortening, 8 x 8 square pan, cutting board

Combine the sugar, salt, peanut butter and evaporated milk in a large pot. Clip candy thermometer to the side of the pan. Cook over medium/high heat stirring constantly. Continue to cook slowly until the temp reaches the softball stage, which is 240 degrees. It should take about 25 to 30 minutes.

Remove from heat and add the vanilla, and butter. Mix thoroughly by hand to mix in the last ingredients and cool it down. It will have a very shiny appearance when you start stirring but as you stir it and it cools down the candy will start to lose the gloss. 

It will start to thicken as well, and when it does, this is the time to  pour the mixture into a shallow dish - like a square brownie pan. My favorite thing to do to ensure no sticking is to grease a pan with shortening. But, you can use pan spray or line the bottom with waxed paper ad spray the sides of the pan. Set the fudge aside in a cool place. 

When the fudge is cooled ( about 1/2 hour- 1 hour) start melting the chocolate in a double boiler or 2 pans in one trick (see Buckeye recipe). When it is completely melted pour it right on top of the peanut butter fudge in the pan. Set aside again for 1-3 hours. When the chocolate is hard run a knife around the edge between the chocolate and fudge and the pan. Turn the pan over on top of a plate or cutting board and pop the whole thing out. Cut into desired sized squares. Store in tupperware. 

Part 1 of Holiday Candy.. Buckeyes

These yummy treats are super easy to make!! They taste a lot like gourmet peanut butter cups. Of course I also like to use White Chocolate for dipping when I feel adventurous- which makes them taste like  a cross between cups and pieces.

Ingredients:

1 cup graham cracker crumbs (you can buy them or make them from crackers)
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons softened butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups chocolate chips or almond bark
Vegetable oil or extra butter

Supplies- Cutting board and knife (if using Almond Bark), double boiler or two soup pots- one larger than the other so one fits inside the other, large bowl, cookie sheet, wooden ladle, wax paper, toothpicks.

Mix the peanut butter, butter, vanilla, powdered sugar, and graham cracker crumbs thoroughly in large bowl. Place bowl in refrigerator for about 2 hours.

In the meantime, if you bought Almond Bark cut it up into tiny pieces.

After 2 hours, take the mixture out of the refrigerator and make 1 inch balls. Spread these out on cookie sheet lined with waxed paper. Put a toothpick into each one and place in fridge or freezer until very firm.

Take the balls of filling off the cookie sheet (waxed paper, too) and place on the counter near the stove. Place a new sheet of wax paper on the cookie sheet- or use two cookie sheets if you want. . .

Melt chocolate in the double boiler. If you don't have a double boiler do this- place about 2 inches of water in the larger of two soup pots and place the smaller pot inside of that. Put the chocolate inside the top pan and turn the burner onto medium high. Be very careful to not splash water into the chocolate or it will separate and be ruined.  To avoid burning add small amounts of vegetable oil or butter while continuously stirring.

When the chocolate is melted and ready, take the balls of peanut buttery goodness by the toothpicks and dip them one at a time into the chocolate and then place them on the wax paper. When you have dipped them all you can take the toothpicks out of the buckeyes. Take a spoon and some of the chocolate and fill the holes in the tops of the candies left by the toothpicks. Let them set or put them in the fridge to cool faster. Store in tupperware.

Pizza Rolls

This is my first blog entry. I have been posting recipes and pictures of foods I make on my Facebook and I thought "I need a blog." I don't like to spend a fortune making food but I like it to look fancy and taste amazing. In the future there will be cheap family recipes as well as holiday foods and- my favorite- gourmet cupcakes for CHEAP!! I hope you enjoy my blog. Please share it with your family and friends.

I made this recipe week before last, for the 1st time. Since I already make my own bread it wasn't too daunting. My husband loved it and took the leftovers to work with him where he shared and there was almost a fight for the last one. lol It is inexpensive, looks gourmet, and tastes delicious.

Pizza Rolls

Difficulty level: Medium

Price: $2.50 per serving

Total time: 3 hours

Tools needed: large bowl,  1 cookie sheet, shortening for greasing pans, bbq brush, spatula, 2 small soup pans, large knife, rolling pin

Ingredients: 

(This is the basic rosemary garlic bread recipe but you will use it for crust in this application:)

4 cups self rising flour

1/2 packet yeast (1 tsp)

1 Tablespoon salt

4 cloves garlic 

3 tablespoon rosemary (fresh best, dry ok)

2 cups lukewarm water

(for stuffing the inside:)

italian spices

1 block mozzarella cheese (or 1 pack shredded mozzarella or italian blend) 

1/2 pack of pepperoni 

4-6 thick sliced ham

1 oz italian sausage optional

5-10  black olives optional

4 mushrooms chopped optional

1/4 cup green pepper optional

marinara for dippping

Garlic butter for brushing, dipping:

4 cloves garlic

2 sticks butter (salted pref.)

In large bowl combine water (must be lukewarm to activate yeast) and yeast. Stir once. Let sit 10 minutes until some froth on top. Add salt and flour. If it seems dry (should be doughy and wet) add more warm water. Stir until completely mixed. Cover bowl with plastic wrap or cloth but leave a corner uncovered. Let rise for 2 hours.

While you are waiting, grease the cookie sheet and cut up all garlic and rosemary. I like to use a magic bullet to mince the garlic and rosemary (for the bread) together but finely chopping is fine, too. Place half the garlic in one of the soup pans and set aside. If you bought a cheese block now is the time to cut it into small cubes. Set aside. 

After 2 hours- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix the other half of the garlic and the rosemary into the bread dough. After mixing, place the dough on a large floured surface. Sprinkle the top of the dough with flour and also flour the rolling pin. Roll the dough out to an 8 x 12 rectangle. Make sure the thickness is even throughout. This is your crust. 

Sprinkle the crust with italian spices to taste. Layer ham and pepperoni evenly across the middle longways (about a 3 inch wide strip). You can take the toppings all the way to the end. Add optional meats and vegetables evenly across the filling strip. Add shredded or cubes cheese across evenly. 

Take the flap of dough nearest you and fold it over the toppings. It is okay to pull it a little. Take a little water and wet the end of the opposite flap so that when you fold it over it will stick. Fold that over towards you and press gently to get it to adhere. 

Take a large knife and slice 8 rolls out of the dough stuffing mixture. Place your greased cookie sheet as close to you as possible. VERY CAREFULLY lift each roll and place it on the cookie sheet. Take the open end and pinch it with your fingers so the dough is connected and doesn't come open while baking. If the rolls touch it is okay. If any of the cheese or toppings comes out- no problem-  just pick it up and place it on top of the roll. I like to add all the toppings that fall out onto the end rolls because they have the least toppings and the most dough. 

Place in the oven and bake 15-30 mins.  (Take out when crust is golden brown.)

While pizza rolls are baking place the 2 sticks of butter in the pan with the garlic and heat on medium. Turn off when butter starts to simmer or garlic starts to turn brown. Remove from heat. In the other soup pan heat the marinara. 

Place the marinara and garlic butter in two dipping bowls. Brush the pizza rolls with garlic butter while cooling.

Enjoy!