Peanut Butter Balls (dipped in chocolate)

Here is a recipe for peanut butter balls (makes approximately 16):

Peanut Butter Ball:

-  3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

-  1/4 cup softened butter

-  1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (sifted)

-  1 teaspoon pure vanilla (vanilla extract works just fine)

Chocolate Dip:

-  1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

-  1 tablespoon vegetable shortening

Place a piece of wax paper on a cookie sheet.

Mix peanut butter, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a medium mixing bowl.  Once combined, use your hands to shape round peanut butter balls.  Place on wax paper and refrigerate while you are making the chocolate dip.

For the chocolate dip, place a small saucepan with water on the stove.  Use a mixing bowl (big enough to go on the top of the saucepan) place semi-sweet chocolate chips and vegetable shortening in it.  Turn on burner to medium to low heat and melt the chocolate and shortening while mixing it.  Make sure the heat is not too high so you don't burn the chocolate.  Using a toothpick, dip the peanut butter balls in the chocolate(dip into sprinkles if you like) and place back onto the wax paper.  Refrigerate for about 30 minutes so the chocolate hardens.  Serve and Enjoy!

Cranberry Bars

If you are wondering what to do with your left over cranberry sauce, or just like cranberries, here is a recipe for cranberry bars (servings 9 bars):

-  1 cup cranberry sauce (see my recipe for this in my blog post, or make your own)

-  1 cup all-purpose flour

-  1 cup rolled oats

-  1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

-  1/4 cup granulated sugar

-  3/4 teaspoon baking powder

-  1/4 teaspoon salt

-  1/2 cup butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and generously grease an 8 x 8 cooking pan.

Place all-purpose flour, rolled oats, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl and stir.  Cut butter into cubes and using a fork or a pastry cutter, cut in butter to dry ingredient mixture until there are coarse clumps.  Take 2/3 of the crumb mixture and firmly pat it down in your 8 x 8 greased pan.  Spread cranberry sauce evenly over the top.  Sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture on top.  Cook in the oven for 15 minutes or until the top is lightly browned.  *I followed this receipt and make my own adjustments and ended up cooking mine for about 45 minutes until they were done.  Just thought I would mention as a precaution.  

Cool in pan, cut and serve.  Enjoy!

Holiday Christmas Treats

Here is a recipe for holiday crispy treats:

-  1/4 cup butter

-  4 cups mini marshmallows

-  5 cups rice crispy cereal

In a large bowl, measure out 5 cups crispy cereal (store brand works just fine and is less expensive) and mix in sprinkles if you choose.  Set aside.

Melt 1/4 cup butter in medium sized saucepan over medium heat.  Once butter is melted, add in mini marshmallows and stir until combined and form a marshmallow cream.  Remove from heat and stir in food coloring of your choice (use less drops for a lighter color and more drops for a darker color). I added approximately 3 - 4 drops in mine.   Next, mix in cereal/sprinkle mixture into saucepan and stir to coat the cereal well.  Spread out evenly, with a spatula, in a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.  Let cool.

Once the treats are cool, cut out fun shapes with a cookie cutter(s).  Serve and Enjoy!  You can also store in an air tight container in your pantry.

Homemade Candy Canes

Here is a recipe for homemade candy canes (makes about 6 to 8 large candy canes):

-  1/2 cup water

-  1/2 cup light corn syrup

-  1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

-  2 cups granulated sugar

-  3/4 teaspoons peppermint extract

-  3/4 to 1 teaspoon red food coloring

In a small to medium saucepan, combine 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup light corn syrup, 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar, and 2 cups granulated sugar and mix to incorporate.  Bring to a boil and do not stir until temperature reaches 265 degrees, using a candy thermometer.  Make sure it reaches full temperature or it will not harden and will be gooey when trying to make the candy canes (this happened to me on my second batch....it was like taffy candy)!  Once temperature is reached, remove from heat and stir in 3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract.  Spoon out half the sugar mixture into another bowl and add red food coloring and mix.  Let both mixtures cool so you can handle it with your hands without burning them.  This also happened to me.  I didn't not wait long enough and burnt my hand :(.

While the mixtures are cooling, butter two to three cookie sheets and a spatula.  I used two spatulas, one for the red mixture and one for the clear.  Once sugar mixtures are cool enough to handle, coat your hands with butter and form into 12 to 18 inch long cylinders (depending on the size you want your candy canes) and roll out on buttered cookie sheet(s).  I used two cookie sheets for this, one for the red candy and one or the clear candy.  Rope the two colors together and form into a candy cane (best to do this before it hardens!) and place candy cane on third buttered cookie sheet to cool.  Repeat until both or one of the mixtures runs out.  Also, if the candy starts to harden in the bowl before you are able to use it, you can briefly put the bowl on a lit burner for just a few seconds to soften.  Make sure the bowl you are using is safe to put it onto a burner without damaging it or causing a fire.  Enjoy!

*You can also do this to make mint flavored candy canes (sticks) as well.  Just substitute peppermint extract for mint extract and red food coloring for green food coloring.  Happy candy making!

Candied Orange Peels

Here is a recipe for candied orange peel:

-  3 oranges

-  3/4 cup water (plus additional in the beginning...see first paragraph below)

-  2 1/4 cups granulated sugar

-  Additional 1/4 cup granulated sugar for coating candies

Cut 3 oranges into quarter slices and remove pulp.  Cut each peel into approximately 1/4 inch slices and place into a medium size saucepan. Add cold water, just enough to submerge the orange peels, and bring to a boil.  Pour out water once it comes to a boil, then add cold water again to the saucepan, just enough to submerge peels.  Bring to a boil.  Once brought to a boil for the second time, pour out water (again) and place orange peels in a strainer or separate bowl.

Bring 2 1/4 cups granulated sugar and 3/4 cups water to a simmer over low heat in a medium size saucepan and stir frequently.  Once the mix has come to a simmer, continue cooking for 10 minutes stirring at least once a minute.  Then (after 10 minutes), add in orange peels and let simmer over low heat for approximately 45 minutes without stirring.  Press down on the orange peels making sure that all of them are submerged in the water (I did this a couple of times during the 45 minutes).  Also, you will know when the peels are done because they should soften and be tender when poking them with a fork.  You could also slice thru a peel to check if they are thoroughly cooked.

While orange peels are cooking, place 1/4 cup granulated sugar in a small bowl for coating orange peels when done.  Next, separate the sugar water from the orange peels using a strainer.  Coat each orange peel in the sugar by dipping it in, or take a large spoonful of the orange peels and coat them with sugar. Place onto a wire rack to let cool.  Serve as a snack, store for later, or store for use in another recipe (like I plan to do in a homemade fruit cake).  Enjoy!

Caramel (Peanut) Popcorn

Here is a recipe for caramel popcorn (10 cups):

-  10 cups popped popcorn (plain)

-  2/3 cups dry roasted peanuts

-  2/3 cups light brown sugar

-  2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons light corn syrup

-  1/4 teaspoon salt

-  1/3 cup and 1 teaspoon butter

-  1/8 teaspoon baking soda

-  1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 250 degrees and grease a 9 x 13 inch pan.  Add popcorn and dry roasted peanuts (distributed evenly) to the pan and set aside.

In a small saucepan, heat light brown sugar, light corn syrup, salt, and butter.  Bring to a boil and stir consistently for 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and mix in baking soda and vanilla extract.  Pour sugar/caramel mixture over popcorn and dry roasted peanuts, then stir to coat.  Place into preheated oven for 1 hour, stirring popcorn every 10 to 15 minutes to coat the popcorn well with the sugar/caramel mixture.

After 1 hour, remove from oven and spread caramel popcorn mix out on wax paper (I did this on our kitchen counter) and separate so it doesn't stick together.  Let cool and serve. You can also store in an air tight container and store at room temperature or place into holiday tins and give out as gifts.  Enjoy!

*If you or anyone you know is allergic to peanuts or you don't want to include them, just omit.

Pumpkin Seeds

Here is my recipe for pumpkin seeds:

-  pumpkin seeds from a carved pumpkin

-  salt

Remove the pumpkin seeds from the pumpkin.  Place onto a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt (according your taste).  Place into your preheated oven at 325 degrees and bake for about 40 to 45 minutes.  Remove and let cool.  Enjoy as a snack!

Simple Granola Bars

Here is a recipe that I have been using for a while to make my own granola bars.  Got this recipe from allrecipes.com, then made my own modifications:

-  2 cups rolled oats

- 1/2 cup wheat bran cereal

-  1 cup all purpose flour

-  1/4 teaspoon salt

-  3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

-  2/4 cups dried fruit (ie. raisins, cranberries, etc.)

-  3/4 cup light brown sugar

-  1/2 cup honey

-  1/2 cup vegetable oil

-  1 egg (lightly beaten)

-  1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

Mix all dry ingredients (rolled oats, wheat bran cereal, flour, salt, cinnamon, salt, light brown sugar, dried fruit) in a medium to large size bowl.  Add remaining ingredients (honey, vegetable oil, egg, vanilla) and mix.  Place in a 9 x 13 non-stick pan and spread the mixture to cover the entire space.  Cook in your preheated oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Once done, cut immediately, before the granola bars cool.  Let cool in the pan, remove, and store.  Serve when ready.

My kids love these and I send them to school with a granola bar everyday.  Healthy and inexpensive to make.