English Toffee with Cashews Filed under ( candy, chocolate, food gift ideas, holiday, toffee )

I teach 3 year old preschool and one of my mom's shared this yummy recipe with me. I had tried English Toffee in the past and never just got that perfect texture. Gina was encouraging and told me I could do this. I gave it another try and it was AMAZING! I don't think I have had toffee with the nuts in the toffee. Typically, it is plain toffee with chocolate on the top and the some type of nuts sprinkled on the chocolate. I made this toffee that way too but I really like the cashews in the toffee the best. The key for perfect toffee is a candy thermometer and not giving up until you reach that hard crack stage of about 302 degrees. This is easy - YOU can do it too. Give it a try - your family will love you!

English Toffee

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
pinch salt
cashew pieces

Butter a glass dish. Sprinkle with cashews. In a heavy pan, cook butter, sugar and salt on medium high stirring constantly. Bring to a boil and boil for about 12 minutes or until your candy thermometer reaches hard crack stage - don't give up. The mixture will turn a golden color. When it reaches about 302 degree F, pour evenly over cashews. This hardens immediately so pour it where you want it to go. Top with Hershey bars or I just sprinkled milk chocolate chips evenly over the top. Allow a minute or so to melt and spread with a knife. After chocolate has hardened, score with a knife and cut into squares or break apart.

Enjoy this TO DIE FOR treat!

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Easy Peanut Clusters Filed under ( candy, chocolate, food gift ideas, holiday )

This is one of the first candies I learned to make. I think I started making these back when I taught high school. There are only 3 ingredients - so easy and so addicting. They are one of my dad's favorites. I take them home with me every Christmas!

Easy Peanut Clusters

6 or 12 oz white almond bark
6 or 12 oz semi sweet chocolate chips
6 or 12 oz cocktail peanuts

Use equal parts of each ingredient. Melt almond bark for about a minute in the microwave. Add chocolate chips and melt about another minute. Stir until all melted - may have to microwave just a bit more. Add cocktail peanuts. Stir to coat. Drop by small spoonfuls on to a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Refrigerate. I like these best when stored in the refrigerator.

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Caramel Puffed Corn Filed under ( food gift ideas, holiday, snack mix )

This is an amazing recipe. My friend Barb introduced this to me several years ago - it is like nothing I had ever had before. She found this recipe on the back of Old Dutch Puffed Corn. I haven't been able to find Old Dutch Puffed Corn so this Christmas, I bought Chester's Puffed corn. You have to make this - your friends will be amazed. The recipe doesn't call for nuts but I have added pecan halves on occasion and a friend mentioned she wanted to try it with cashews. Your family will totally devour this .. but I recommend sharing with friends... they will love you!

Caramel Puffed Corn (adapted for the Old Dutch Puffed Corn)

1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2/3 cup light corn syrup
1 tsp baking soda
nuts (optional)
1 bag of Old Dutch puffed corn - I used two 4.5 oz bags Chesters Puffed corn

Preheat oven to 250. Combine butter, brown sugar and corn syrup in a medium saucepan. Cook until comes to a boil. Add baking soda. Put puffed corn/nuts in a large roasting pan - pour sauce over corn/nuts til thoroughly coated. Bake for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Remove from oven and pour onto wax paper, breaking apart and allow to cool.

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Salted Chocolate Pecan Candy - AMAZING! Filed under ( candy, food gift ideas, holiday )

My friend Donna made this for me a couple of years ago. The recipe is from Southern Living Home for the Holidays. I have made it numerous times but I tend to want to eat it all - just me. I goofed this year and totally forgot it calls for pecans. I made it with just the two chocolates and the sea salt and it was still amazing! I also couldn't find the white Ghiradelli bars in the local stores I checked. I used the dark bars but used a 12 oz bag of white chocolate chips instead of the bars. It didn't swirl as nicely but still tasted amazing!

Without pecans ( I forgot)



With Pecans :) Yummy both ways!

Salty Chocolate-Pecan Candy - adapted from Southern Living Home for the Holidays

1 cup pecans - coarsely chopped

3 4 oz bars Ghiradelli 60% bittersweet baking bars

3 4 oz bars Ghiradelli white chocolate baking bars

coarse sea salt

Place pecans on a baking sheet and toast at 250 for 8-10 minutes. Line a jelly roll pan with parchment paper. Break each chocolate bar into 8 pieces and arrange them checkerboard style alternating white/dark chocolate - pieces will touch. Bake at 225 for 5 minutes and remove from oven. Swirl chocolate using a toothpick. Sprinkle evenly with toasted pecans and sea salt. Chill one hour or until firm. This is best if stored in the refrigerator.

*remember.... I couldn't find the white baking bars so I used a nice sprinkling of white Ghiradelli chocolate chips in the white checkerboard spots. The chips didn't melt as nicely as the bars but it still turned out great. I also left off the pecans this time but still amazing. I do plan to make it with pecans next time because pecans are my very favorite!

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Merry Monday - Cranberry Chutney Filed under ( appetizer, food gift ideas, holiday )

Two of my blogging friends decided to do something fun for the holidays..... Merry Mondays! The ingredient for today is CRANBERRIES.

I decided to share a recipe for Cranberry Chutney. This recipe came from a sweet dear TEXAS friend - Miss Kathy. She is a wonderful Christian lady and I was lucky to teach preschool with her for several years. Two of my girls were lucky to have her as a teacher!

I think this would be a great gift. Put some of this yummy chutney in a little jar with a cute spreader. You could even give the cream cheese and crackers with it for a complete appetizer!

Cranberry Chutney

1 pkg fresh cranberries
2 apples, peeled and chopped
1 1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves

Combine ingredients in medium saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer 15-20 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Serve over cream cheese with wheat thins or your favorite cracker.

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Hot Cocoa Mix - Great Christmas Gift Filed under ( chocolate, drinks, food gift ideas )

We LOVE this hot cocoa mix at our house. It is a staple - especially in our Nebraska long winter months. I have given this as a gift numerous times. Just find a cute container - fill it with mix and attach the recipe.

I got this recipe from my good friend at church - Lori. Sizes of products have changed over the years so I did adjust the recipe slightly. You can also vary the variety of non dairy creamer for a different taste - I use original. I know you will love it!

Hot Cocoa Mix

21.8 oz Nesquik
11 oz non dairy creamer, original
25.6 oz Carnation nonfat dry milk
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Mix together in a large bowl and store in an airtight container. Use 1/2 cup or 8 Tbsp. per 8 oz of hot water ... or to taste.

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Red Velvet Cake Balls Filed under ( cake, dessert, food gift ideas, holiday )

I was introduced to cake balls about 4 or so years ago. A preschool teacher friend made them - her daughter got the recipe while in college in Texas and she called them TEXAS Cake Balls. Since then, cake balls seem to be all the rage. I have made chocolate cake balls, strawberry cake balls and recently I tried - Red Velvet Cake Balls. I knew these would be yummy and so perfect for Valentine's Day.

When you are making your cake balls, be creative with the flavor of cake mix you choose, the frosting and whether you dip them in white or chocolate almond bark. I don't always love almond bark - I prefer a mixture of almond bark and chocolate to get the best flavor. I do love Kroger's Vanilla Candy Coating as it is whiter in color and seems to taste better. I know your Valentine will love this tasty treat!

Cake Balls

1 box of cake mix
1 tub of frosting
Almond bark

Bake cake according to directions. Let it cool. Dump the cake into a large bowl and crumble. Mix the crumbled cake with a container of any prepared frosting - or you can make your own frosting from scratch. Using a fork, mix really well. Cover and refrigerate until chilled as this makes it easier to roll into balls. Spray your hands and roll the mixture into 1 inch balls. Freeze balls for several hours as this will help them stay together when dipping them in the melted almond bark. Use a tooth pick to dip each ball into melted almond bark, using a spoon to assist and then to fill in the hole as you slide the ball off the toothpick. I drain the extra almond bark off the bottom of the ball before placing it on the cookie sheet. Let them sit a bit to harden.

I also melt some contrasting almond bark and then spoon the melted almond bark into a small ziploc bag. Snip the corner just a tiny bit and then drizzle the top of the balls. For example, white cake balls drizzled with chocolate almond bark or drizzled with white almond bark that has been colored with red food coloring, etc. OR dip in chocolate almond bark and drizzle with white almond bark. With my Red Velvet cake balls - I chose to sprinkle the red chunky sugar on top.

Store these in the freezer until the night before you serve them or just store in an airtight container if ready to eat.

Please be creative with this fun recipe. You and your children or grandchildren will enjoy making these and even more - they will LOVE eating them!