Cookie Dough Fudge

Cookie Dough Fudge

Who doesn't love to sneak a taste of chocolate chip cookie dough?  This "fudge" recipe embodies that delicious taste and is topped with a creamy chocolate peanut butter ganache.  It is amazing!  And one of my new go-to's for holiday baking. 

Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cups mini chocolate chips

Topping:
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
2/3 cup milk chocolate chips (or semi-sweet chocolate chips)
OR
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup white chocolate chips

Directions:
In a large bowl, mix together butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes).  Add vanilla extract and beat until combined.  With the mixer on low speed, alternate mixing in flour and sweetened condensed milk and mix until combined.  Gently fold in mini chocolate chips with spatula. 
Line 8x8 pan with parchment paper.  Press the cookie dough into the pan.  Cover the fudge with plastic wrap and refrigerate 3 hours or until firm. 
For topping, combine the peanut butter and chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and heat in 30 second intervals, stirring after each one, until melted and smooth.  Spread the mixture over the cookie dough fudge.  Chill the bars for 1 hour or until topping is firm. 


By:  Jam Hands

Cranberry Sauce

Cranberry Sauce

I've always wanted to try homemade cranberry sauce.  They canned, jellied stuff is pretty gross to me.  However, this homemade version is a hit!  Everyone loved it and I will definitely be making it again!

Ingredients:
1 lb fresh cranberries, washed and dried
2 cups granulated sugar
1/3 cup water
1 cinnamon stick (I used about 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon instead)
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 orange, zested and juiced

Directions:
In a medium pot, combine the cranberries, sugar, and water.  Stir to blend.  Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat.  Reduce to a simmer and add the spices.  Stir to blend and simmer for an additional 5-7 minutes.  Add the orange juice and zest, stir and allow to cool before serving. 


By:  Food Network

Creamy Corn Casserole

Creamy Corn Casserole

This is another dish that we had at Thanksgiving.  I loved it!  I really liked the combination of cornbread, creamed corn and regular corn.  It is delicious!  And super easy!  This will be added to our holiday menu in the future for sure. 

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 eggs, beaten
1 package dry corn bread mix (I used Jiffy)
1 (15 oz) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (14.75 oz) can creamed corn
1 cup sour cream

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350*F and lightly grease a 9x9 baking dish.  In a medium bowl, combine butter, eggs, corn bread mix, both cans of corn and sour cream.  Spoon mixture into prepared dish.  Bake for 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the top is golden brown. 


By: Allrecipes

Apple and Sausage Cornbread Stuffing

Apple and Sausage Cornbread Stuffing

I made this delicious stuffing for Thanksgiving and it was wonderful!  I like the combination of wheat bread and corn bread!  It does make a lot though so I think next time I will halve the recipe. 

Ingredients:
2 packages dry corn muffin mix (I used Jiffy)
1 lb pork sausage (I used Jimmy Dean Sage Sausage)
1 apple - peeled, cored, and diced (I used a gala apple)
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon garlic powder
8 slices wheat bread, cut into cubes
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup chicken broth

Directions:
Prepare corn muffin mix according to package directions the night before.  Cool and crumble.  Set out corn bread crumbled and cubed wheat bread overnight to get a little stale. 
Preheat oven to 350*F.  Brown sausage over medium high heat, drain and add back to skillet.  Add celery, onion, apple, and garlic powder and cook a few minutes, until soft.  In a large bowl, combine sausage mixture with crumbled corn bread and cubed wheat bread.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Add chicken broth if needed for moisture, it should ball up nicely.  If stuffing bird, do that with mixture at this point.  If baking in separate casserole dish, bake in preheated oven 45 minutes or until golden brown. 


By:  Allrecipes

German Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars

German Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars

My dad loves German chocolate cake and pecan pie bars.  We always have pecan pie at Thanksgiving for him.  I ran across this recipe and had to make it for him this year.  It's delicious!  A wonderful chocolate crust, topped with a rich pecan and coconut filling.  Yum!

Ingredients:
3 cups pecan halves
1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup cold butter, cubed
1/4 cup cocoa
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
3 large eggs
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350*F.  Arrange pecans in a single layer of a shallow baking pan.  Bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly toasted.  Stir halfway through baking.
Line bottom and sides of a 9x13 baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving an overhang on two short sides.  Grease foil.  Set aside.  Whisk together flour, powdered sugar, and cocoa.  Add cold butter and combine with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal.  Press mixture into bottom of prepared pan.  Bake crust for 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over crust.  Allow to cool on a wire rack at least 30 minutes.
Place eggs in a large mixing bowl and beat lightly.  Add brown sugar, corn syrup, and melted butter.  Whisk together until smooth.  Stir in coconut and pecans.  Pour evenly over partially baked crust.  Bake 28-34 minutes, or until edges are golden and filling has set.  Cool completely on a wire rack.  Then refrigerate for one hour. 
Using foil overhang, lift bars from pan and place on a cutting board.  Use a sharp knife to cut into bars. 


By: Bake or Break

Turtle Pumpkin Pie

Turtle Pumpkin Pie

I love this dessert!  We had Thanksgiving with friends and one of them brought this amazing pie!  I don't normally like pumpkin pie, I don't like the texture of it.  I also don't normally eat pecans.  However, this pie is perfect!  I love the pumpkin pudding filling.  The crunch of the graham cracker crust and pecans perfectly offsets the creamy whipped topping and pumpkin filling.  And the caramel combines all the flavors to make a wonderfully, decadent alternative to traditional pumpkin pie!  Another plus is that it is super easy and doesn't require baking.  And it looks pretty!  This will be my new go-to pumpkin pie recipe for the holidays!

Ingredients:
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons caramel ice cream topping, divided
1 graham cracker pie crust
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped pecans, divided
2 packages vanilla flavor instant pudding
1 cup cold milk
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tub (8 oz) Whipped Topping, thawed, divided (I used Cool Whip)

Directions:
Pour 1/4 cup caramel topping onto bottom of pie crust; sprinkle with 1/2 cup nuts.  Beat next 5 ingredients in large bowl with whisk until blended.  Stir in 1 1/2 cups whipped topping; spoon into crust.  Refrigerate 1 hour.  Top with remaining whipped topping, caramel topping and nuts just before serving. 


By:  KeyIngredient

Green Bean Casserole

Green Bean Casserole

I love green bean casserole for the holidays!  It is one of my favorite side dishes.  I saw this recipe on pinterest and decided to try it.  It doesn't use any of the cream of _______ soup but is still creamy and delicious!  It is my new go-to recipe for green bean casserole!

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
3/4 cup sour cream
3 cans French style green beans, drained
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup crumbled buttery round crackers
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 cup French's fried onion rings

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350*F.  Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Stir in mushrooms and sauté.  Add flour and stir, cook for one minute.  Stir in salt, sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, and sour cream.  Add green beans and stir to coat.  Add 1 cup cheddar cheese and 1/2 cup dried onion rings and mix together.  Pour into 3 quart casserole dish.  Spread remaining cheedar cheese on top.  Mix together remaining butter, cracker crumbs, and onion rings and sprinkle over the cheese.  Bake for 30 minutes in preheated oven, or until top is golden and cheese is bubbly.

*Can top with just the crackers crumbs or the onion rings.  I like the crunchy combo. 



By:  Allrecipes

Oreo Truffles

Oreo Truffles

These are such an awesome little treat!  And there are so many variations!  They are super simple to make and taste so decadent!  I love making these at the holidays.

Ingredients:
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 package (16.6 oz.) Oreo cookies, finely crushed (I use my mini food processor)
1 package chocolate or vanilla candy coating, melted

Directions:
Mix cream cheese and 3 cups cookie crumbs until blended.  Shape into 48 (1 inch) balls.  Chill for 30 minutes to 1 hour or place in freezer for 10-15 minutes.  Dip in melted chocolate, place on wax paper-covered baking sheet.  Sprinkle with remaining cookie crumbs.  Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm.  Store in tightly covered container in refrigerator.

How to melt chocolate:  Place chocolate in microwaveable bowl, microwave on high 2.5 minutes or until chocolate is completely melted, stirring every 30 seconds.  Or melt in glass bowl over boiling water on stove. 

To easily coat truffles with the melted chocolate, add truffles in batches to bowl of melted chocolate.  Use 2 forks to roll truffles in chocolate until evenly coated.  Remove truffles with forks, letting excess chocolate drip back into bowl.  Place on wax paper. 

Variations:
Mint Oreo Truffles:  use package mint Oreo cookies, can add peppermint extract to chocolate coating or dip in melted Andes Mints
Peppermint Oreo Truffles: add 1 teaspoon peppermint extract to crushed oreo/cream cheese mixture; top with crushed candy canes immediately after dipping in melted chocolate
Use Vanilla Almond Bark and tint with food coloring, decorate with sprinkles
Nutter Butters and Cream Cheese, dipped in chocolate
Vanilla Wafers or Golden Oreos and Strawberry Cream Cheese, dipped in vanilla almond bark
Gingerbread Oreos, dipped in milk chocolate

 

By: Kraft Recipes

Double Chocolate Peppermint Crunch Cookies

Double Chocolate Peppermint Crunch Cookies

I love the chocolate on chocolate.  Plus the crushed peppermint makes it so tasty!  And it looks nice!  These are a great treat for the holidays and cookie exchanges. 

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips, divided
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
2 large eggs
4 candy canes, coarsely crushed

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375*F.  Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.  Stir 2 cups chocolate chips in medium metal bowl set over saucepan of simmering water until melted and smooth.  Measure 2/3 cup melted chocolate, transfer to small metal bowl and reserve for drizzling.
Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt in medium bowl.  Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until creamy.  Add sugar and both extracts, beat until smooth.  Add eggs, beat to blend.  Beat in melted chocolate from medium bowl.  Add dry ingredients, beat just to blend.  Stir in remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips. 
Roll dough into balls, about 1 inch diameter, and place on prepared baking sheet.  Bake cookies until cracked all over and tester inserted into center comes out with large moist crumbs attached, 8-9 minutes.  Cool cookies on baking sheet 5 minutes, transfer cookies on parchment paper to racks to cool completely. 
Rewarm reserved 2/3 cup chocolate over small saucepan of simmering water.  Using fork, drizzle chocolate over cookies.  Sprinkle crushed candy canes over.  Chill just until chocolate sets, about 20 minutes.
DO AHEAD: can be made 3 weeks ahead, store airtight in freezer.  Bring to room temperature before serving.


By:  Bon Appetit