Cookies and Cream Fudge

Cookies and Cream White Chocolate Fudge

Candy making is part of holiday baking too. Don't be afraid to try candy making. There are many recipes and ingredient combinations to explore. Oh sugar, honey honey...

1 7 Oz. Jar Marshmallow Creme
1 tsp Almond Extract
12 oz bag White Chocolate Chips

Put these ingrediants in a large mixing bowl.

One stick butter
2 1/2 cups sugar
5 Oz. Lowfat 2% Evaporated milk

Chopped Oreo Cookies

In a large saucepan, combine 1 tsp butter, sugar and E. milk. Set remaining butter aside. Bring to a boil on medium heat until candy thermometer reads 233 degrees F. Stir continuously. Once the thermometer reads 233 degrees F, add the remaining butter and stir. Bring the mixture back to a boil and stir continuously. Once bubbled up, take off heat and carefully pour mixture into your large bowl of marshmallow, chips and almond extract. Stir until all chips are melted and the mixture becomes a smooth and combined snowy white mixture.

Pour half of the white chocolate fudge mixture into a lightly greased 8 x 8 square pan. Level fudge out with a spoon and let sit for a minute or two. Sprinkle Oreo cookies pieces on top of fudge. Using the palm of your hand or finger tip lightly press the cookie pieces into the top surface of the fudge. Pour remaining mixture on the top of the cookie pieces. Level again to make sure cookies pieces are covered. So the cream filled middles of the cookies don't melt put fudge in the freezer for about ten minutes. Remove from freezer and set on counter and allow fudge to set. Once cooled, cut and put in bags for gifting.

Crispy Chewy Chocolate Powdered Sugar Cookies

I have been on a mission to find a recipe for these cookies a certain bakery on Ventura Blvd makes. No such luck. When I try to recreate them, they turn out funky. So after many tries... this recipe is not at all like them but an excellent substitute. These turn out similar to the Chocolate Crackle Cookie variety.

Crispy Chewy Chocolate Powdered Sugar Cookies

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

1 box Brownie mix, milk or dark chocolate (whatever you prefer)
1 cup flour
a few shakes cinnamon

In your mixing bowl combine dry ingredients and mix. Then add the following wet ingredients. Mixing after each addition.

1/2 cup water or milk
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 bag chocolate chips
1/4 cup coconut flakes (optional)
1/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Powdered sugar

The dough will be sticky using a teaspoon drop spoonfulls of dough into powdered sugar. Roll until dough ball is covered in powdered sugar. Place cookie on parchment covered cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes or until edges are set. Edges should be a bit crispy and centers chewy and browine like.

I took these to work and no one complained!

Mint Fudge

Starbucks has their Peppermint Mocha. Baskin Robbins has Mint 'n Chip Ice Cream. I have my Mint Chip Fudge.

Mint Chip Fudge

1 7 Oz. Jar Marshmallow Creme
1 tsp Vanilla
12 oz bag Guittard Green Mint Chips

Put these ingrediants in a large mixing bowl.

One stick butter
2 1/2 cups sugar
5 Oz. Lowfat 2% Evaporated milk

Mini Chocolate chips (frozen)

In a large saucepan, combine 1 tsp butter, sugar and E. milk. Set remaining butter aside. Bring to a boil on medium heat until candy thermometer reads 233 degrees F. Stir continuously. Once the thermometer reads 233 degrees F, add the remaining butter and stir. Bring the mixture back to a boil and stir continuously. Once bubbled up, take off heat and carefully pour mixture into your large bowl of marshmallow, chips and vanilla. Stir until all chips are melted and the mixture becomes a lovely light shade of mint green.

Pour into a lightly greased 8 x 8 square pan. Level fudge out with a spoon and let sit for a minute or two. Sprinkle frozen chocolate chips on top of fudge. Using the palm of your hand, lightly press the mini chips into the top surface of the fudge. So the mini chocolate chips don't melt put fudge in the freezer for about ten minutes. Remove from freezer and set on counter and allow fudge to set. Once cooled, cut and put in bags for gifting.

Almond Shortbread Snowballs

I baked. I made a few cookies that I have not made before. As I child, my big sister would make similar cookies but used pecans. As an adult, I created my own with almonds. They passed the test, my Mom, an almond fan, loved them and ate every last one I gifted her in her tin.

Almond Shortbread Snowballs

1 cup softened butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp almond extract
2 cups unbleached flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup finely chopped raw almonds
powdered sugar to coat cookies

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a bowl combine flour, salt and almond bits. Cream butter. Add p. sugar and mix together. Add almond extract and mix. Slowly add flour mixture until dough is set. Place dough balls on cookie sheet and bake 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven, take cookies from cookie sheet and cool on paper towels. Cool completely and roll cookies in powdered sugar.

Shortbreads With a Kiss

Oh my my. These cookies melt in your mouth. They do. They are flipping fantastic. You must make these immediately. They are that good. Well make them if you like shortbread cookies and Hershey Kisses.

Shortbreads With a Kiss

1 cup unsalted butter room temp
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups unbleached flour
1/4 tsp. salt
Powdered sugar in a shaker
Unwrapped Hershey Kisses


Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk together. Set aside. In the KitchenAid mixer, whip up the butter. Add the powdered sugar and whip until smooth. Add the extract and mix again. Slowly add the flour mixture and mix. Once completely mixed shape dough into a ball and wrap it with plastic wrap. Put dough in the fridge for about an hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove dough from frige. Line cookie sheet with parchment. Using a teaspoon, scoop dough. Roll it into a ball and place on cookie sheet. Bake for 12-14 minutes. Remove from the oven. Sprinkle cookies with powdered sugar and then press one Hershey's Kiss into each cookie. Allow to cool. Enjoy!

Coconut Ginger Honey Cookies

I love honey and I love coconut. Over the last year or two I have grown to like ginger. This cookie recipe combines all of those ingredients so nicely. This is sure to be a new holiday cookie for me.

Coconut Ginger Honey Cookies

2 cups unbleached flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter
2 tablespoons finely chopped crystalized ginger
1/4 cup fine grated coconut
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
1/4 cup Wilcox Honey

1/4 cup or more of the fine grated coconut to roll dough balls in

Combine flour, b. soda, and salt in a bowl and whisk. In another bowl beat butter and brown sugar together. Mix until light and fluffy. Add the egg and mix. Add ginger and coconut. Mix until those ingredients are incorporated. Add half of the flour mixture and mix on low speed. Add the other half and mix again.

Put dough in the 'fridge for about an hour. Remove dough from the 'fridge. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Using a teaspoon scoop dough and shape into balls. Roll balls in coconut and then place on the cookie sheet. Bake 12-14 minutes or until edges are set a bit. Dough will flatten out.

Cool on a rack and enjoy.

Holiday Baking Time

I have this itch to bake. I bake once a week, usually for Sunday dinner. It's Holiday time people. We need to bake something. In previous posts, under sweets you will find some recipes for yummy things that can be gifted.

Super Sweet Bars
Kahlua Coconut Rolo Brownie Cups
Cinnamon Chocolate Fudge for Christmas
Christmas in July Cookies
Variety Brownies in One Pan
Re-Inventing Chocolate Chip Cookies
A Twist on an Old Sweet

Each of the above mentioned would make a lovely addition to any baked goodie gift.

One recipe that always screams Christmas is Sugar Cookies. My Mom would make the dough. She would roll it out and cut it with our favorite cookie cutters. Bake them and once cooled she would let us paint them with Colored Powdered Sugar glaze. Oh the memories!!! We would make such a mess and indulge in a sugar high.

As an adult, I have tried to make sugar cookies and have been unsuccessful. But if you have a recipe, the time and the patience... DO MAKE SOME and make some memories at the same time.

CVS is having a sale on Hershey's Chocolate. Thanks for the CVS tips LifeasMom.com, RUN don't walk over there, as Hershey kisses make an excellent topper on so many cookies recipes. Make Peanut Butter or Shortbread cookie dough, bake and remove from the oven and top the cookie with a kiss. You will be glad you did. And if you purchase $20 worth of Hershey's Chocolate, CVS will give you $10 bucks back in Extra Care Money. Seriously, get a CVS card.

Over the next week or two, I will bake and post my recipes. Embrace the Holiday Season and try to enjoy the rest of 2008.

Sponge Candy, Honeycomb, Sea Sponge aka. REALLY GOOD LIGHT AS AIR CANDY

I first stumbled across this stuff in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota. I was there for a wedding. On one of the last days, it was rainy, I was staying at the St. Paul hotel and I suited up and headed out umbrella in hand and walked a couple blocks to the store filled with sugar...

Candyland. If you are ever in Minnesota's Twin Cities, I highly recommend you go there. If you are flying, plan to have an extra suitcase to fill with your sweet loot! Check out their website www.candylandstore.com.

When I returned home, I enjoyed tasty popcorn and the sponge candy! When the sponge candy ran out, I had withdrawls and then I went cyber surfing to find a recipe. This website is amazing. Truly amazing and it doesn't stop with sponge candy. There are lots of recipes. If you have time and like fudge, they have fudge types I have never even heard of. The site is www.thatsmyhome.com/general.sponge.htm

That's My Home's Sponge Candy

1 cup sugar
1 cup dark corn syrup
1 T. vinegar
1 T. baking soda

Combine sugar, corn syrup and vinegar in a heavy saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Then cook to 300 degrees F or to the crack stage. Remove from heat and stir soda in quickly as it will froth up almost double or triple in size. Pour into a buttered pan. Cool and break into pieces.

Candyland covered their sponge candy with dark or milk chocolate and WOW. This stuff is amazing!

I have made this with light corn syrup and brown sugar. Very good anyway. I am going to try it with honey one of these days. They call it honeycomb... hmm?

Cinnamon Chocolate Fudge for Christmas

I found this recipe while cruising through the supermarket. It is from McCormick! It pretty much rocks and tastes amazing and is so unbelievably easy to make! Check out McCormick.com for other amazing recipes!

Easy No-Cook Cinnamon Fudge

1 box powdered sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 tsp. ground McCormick Cinnamon
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
1 1/2 tsp. Pure McCormick Vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts

Line an 8 inch square baking pan with aluminum foil. Allow foil to extend over sides and butter foil. In a bowl, mix together sugar, cocoa, and cinnamon. In a saucepan, heat butter and milk, until butter melts. Add vanilla. Add liquid mixture to sugar mixture. Stir in nuts. Pour into prepared pan. Refrigerate for at least an hour. Using the foil lift the fudge from the pan and cut into 2 inch pieces.

I line a small muffin tin with Christmas themed muffin cups. I drop spoonfuls of fudge into the cups and allow to set. They gift really well, in these little cups and it makes for the perfect portion of sweet!

Christmas in July Cookies

Christmas in JULY? Christmas will be here before we know it! So get ready. Just kidding! But, if you want to, check out LifeasMom.com, there are loads of great Christmas ideas to get you in the pre-holiday planning Christmas Spirit.

This is a Christmas cookie favorite with a twist. Cinnamon and chocolate together? One of my favorite combos.

Chocolate Snickerdoodles! ! !

1 cup butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs with the white things removed

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/2 cups unbleached flour

1/4 cup Valhrona Cocoa

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons sugar and 2 tablespoons cinnamon mixed together to roll dough in.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In your mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar together. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in flour and other dry ingredients. Mix until all ingredients are incorporated. Using a tablespoon, scoop and shape dough into balls and roll them into the cinnamon sugar mixture Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are set. Makes 2-3 dozen.