It's Fudge Makin' Season

I LOVE fudge. Who doesn't? If you don't care for chocolate there are so many other varieties to please your palette. Peanut butter, white chocolate, penuche, peppermint, caramel, the list is endless. I'm on the look-out for new, delicious recipes. I have my tried and true chocolate fudge that I can't even count the number of times I've made and I will make again and again. Mmmm, I love fudge makin' season!

photo from here

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

This scrumptious cupcake recipe is from Ina Garten so you know it's amazing. It's so pretty with the carrots all shiny on top. Don't you love a good carrot cake? I do!

2 cups granulated sugar
1-1/3 cups vegetable oil
3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour plus 1 Tbsp.
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. baking soda
1-1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 lb. carrots, grated
1 cup raisins
1 cup chopped walnuts
For the frosting:
3/4 lb. cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 lb. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 lb. confectioner's sugar, sieved
For the decoration:
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 cup shaved or grated carrots
3 Tbsp. good maple syrup
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line muffin pans with paper liners.
2. Beat the sugar, oil, and eggs together in bowl of electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment until light yellow. Add vanilla. In another bowl, sift together 2 cups flour, the cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.
3. Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Toss the carrots, raisins, and walnuts with 1 tablespoon flour. Add to the batter and mix well (I use my hands - it works best!).
4. Scoop batter into the muffin cups until each is almost full. Bake for 10 minutes, then lower the oven to 350 degrees F and bake for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack. Makes 22 cupcakes.
5. For frosting, mix cream cheese, butter, and vanilla in bowl of electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment until combined. Add confectioner's sugar; mix until smooth.
6. For the decoration, melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat; add the carrots and maple syrup and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, until carrots are tender. Spread them on a paper towel to cool.
7. When cupcakes are cool, frost them generously and garnish with big pinches of sautéed carrots.

Here are more yummy cup cakes from BH&G. Enjoy!

The Cooky Book

My mom had this amazing Cooky Book when I was growing up. My sister and I would study this book. Not just casually look through it, but STUDY it. Oh how I wanted those painted cookies! Or the candy cane sugar cooky. Or the earthquake cooky. I would dream about this book. But I don't remember many of these cookies ever being made. We didn't lack cookies in our home. We had the usual chocolate chip or oatmeal raisin, sometimes peanut butter. But why never those fancy cookies on the cover of that book? It was always there, waiting and tempting.

One day a few years ago, I was in Costco just strolling through the aisles. I had no list, just wasting time. And there, right before my hungry eyes...THE COOKY BOOK!!! It wasn't wrapped in cellophane. It had no price, very odd for Costco. I knew I had to have that book. No matter the price, it had to be mine. My children needed that book in their lives. They needed to spend quality drool time, just like their mother. It would become an heirloom to be passed down through generations. So I took the book to the check out and the cashier tried to find a price, nothing. She called a manager, nothing. The book wasn't in their system. They thought it must have been left over from Christmas and somehow separated from the set it was packaged with. Since there was no UPC in their computers they said they would have to make up a price. I was expecting to pay around $15, maybe a little more. I didn't care! The manager asked me, "How about $1.00?" Seriously?!? $1.00??? Yay!!! My favorite book for $1.00! It was meant to be!

So now you ask, have I made any of the cookies from those bright, glossy, tempting pages? You better believe it! We made those earthquake cookies. But mostly just chocolate chip or oatmeal raisin. What if those painted cookies actually taste like cardboard and the dream is ruined? I can't do that to my children.

You can purchase your own copy of the book here or here. But you will have to pay a lot more than $1.00.

My Garden Runneth Over

With tomatoes!!! Well, not actually my garden, I don't have time to do a garden, but my parents' garden. The weather reports said it might freeze and so I went and picked tomatoes. Now I need to use them. Last night I made this...

Have you ever had bocconcini? It is bite sized fresh mozzarella balls. They are delicious! I mix a handful of halved cherry tomatoes with about 6 or 7 halved bocconcini. Then mix in some fresh basil or dried basil if you don't have the fresh stuff. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and then squeeze some fresh lemon juice all over your salad. AMAZING!!! And I eat it all and I do not share. Children really don't appreciate such delicacies until they are much older and their taste buds have matured beyond EZ Mac.

Here are some more tomato dishes that I am going to try...

Tomato Tart

Doesn't this make your mouth water? There are so many inspiring recipes at this amazing food blog.

Gorgonzola Tomato Pizza
I'm going to have to try a version of this recipe. I like to keep my pizzas simple.

Tomato Basil Soup

I love, love, LOVE tomato basil soup. There is a restaurant in Utah called Zupa's and they have this amazing tomato basil orzo soup. And Wisconsin cauliflower, but that's another post. I would love their recipe but I don't think they are too keen on handing it out. I found a couple recipes that claim to be similar. I'll be the judge.

A Little Bit O' Heaven

Nutella Croissants

So, I'm Back!

I know it has been a while. Okay, more than a while, but I was busy. I had to work full-time and kids in school activities, it all just got so overwhelming. But I'm back and I'll do better, I promise.

I just picked some amazing apples from my parents' orchard and I'm going to make something delicious with them. I usually have grand aspirations as to the desserts I will attempt but then I don't seem to have the time or ambition when I get home so I just end up making something simple. Still yummy, but simple. Well, that will probably happen again:)

But here is what I would like to make if I were home all day....

Caramelized Apple and Pecan Pie

Apple, Goat Cheese, and Honey Tartlets

Apple Dumplings


Apple Dumplings, a much easier version, and probably the one I will make, from one of my favorite food blogs, The Pioneer Woman Cooks.

I'll be back with my own pictures and we'll see what kind of mess I can come up with!

Christmas Goodies!!!

Brownie Lollipops Use any good fudgey brownie recipe or mix from box. Cut out brownie rounds with any size biscuit cutter. Insert lollipop stick. Dip in chocolate and/or caramel sauces to make extra yummy!

Sugar Spritz Cookies photo from verybestbaking.com

Eggnog Spritz
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup butter -- softened
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
For Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup butter -- softened
2 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon rum extract

Heat oven to 400F. In large mixer bowl combine sugar, butter, egg, salt, spices, and vanilla. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until mixture is light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add flour. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until well mixed, 2 to 3 minutes. If dough is too soft, cover and refrigerate until firm enough to form cookies, 30 to 45 minutes. Place dough in cookie press. Form desired shapes 1 inch apart on cookie sheets. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. For Glaze, in small bowl stir together powdered sugar, butter, water, and rum extract until smooth. Drizzle or pipe over warm cookies.
Recipe from here

Finnish Ribbon Cookies
Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup raspberry or apricot jam
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon water
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light. Beat in the yolk, vanilla and lemon zest. In another bowl, stir the flour and salt together and gradually add to the butter mixture, blending thoroughly. If the dough is too soft to handle, chill for 10 to 15 minutes.
Divide the dough into 3 even pieces, then roll each piece into 3 ropes about 3/4 inch in diameter. Place the ropes 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. With the side of your little finger, press a long groove down the center of each rope, taking care not to press all the way down to the sheet.
Bake the cookies for 10 minutes. Remove the sheets from the oven and carefully spoon the jam in the grooves down the center of each cookie. Return the baking sheet to the oven for 5 to 10 more minutes until the cookies are firm to the touch and light golden brown. While cookies are baking, in a small bowl mix the confectioners' sugar with 1 tablespoon water until smooth. As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, drizzle each ribbon with the glaze. Immediately cut the cookies at a 45-degree angle into 1-inch lengths.
Allow cookies to cool for a few minutes, then carefully transfer the cookies to a wire rack; they are fragile while warm and will break easily. Cool completely.
Recipe from here

Mexican Wedding Cookiesphoto from joyofbaking.com

Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar, plus more for coating baked cookies
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting hands
1 cup pecans, chopped into very small pieces
Directions
Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F. Line cookies sheets with parchment paper.
Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar at low speed until it is smooth. Beat in the vanilla. At low speed gradually add the flour. Mix in the pecans with a spatula. With floured hands, take out about 1 tablespoon of dough and shape into a crescent. Continue to dust hands with flour as you make more cookies. Place onto prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 40 minutes. When cool enough to handle but still warm, roll in additional confectioners' sugar. Cool on wire racks.
Recipe from here