Butter Pecan Fudge

Several weeks ago we were on vacation and had several opportunities to have fudge and ice cream.  My oldest Hungry Puppy was asking for butter pecan.  Unfortunately, we didn't buy butter pecan fudge or butter pecan ice cream, and she was a little bummed.  So I told her that we could buy butter pecan ice cream any time we want, and that I would  make butter pecan fudge as soon as we got home.  And here it is.  She said that this fudge tastes better than the one that she tried on vacation!  It is seriously so amazing and flavorful!  Adapted from this recipe.

Butter Pecan Fudge

3 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup butter
2 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted

Line an 8x8 inch square pan with foil, and grease the foil.  Set aside.

Place the powdered sugar and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer.  Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat.  Continue cooking the butter, swirling it in the pan occasionally, until it is lightly browned and fragrant.  Immediately stir in the brown sugar and evaporated milk, and stir for about 2 minutes until the sugar is dissolved.  Bring the mixture to a full boil and continue to cook stirring constantly for 1 minute.  Immediately pour the mixture into the mixer bowl with the powdered sugar and vanilla.  

With the paddle attachment, beat the fudge on low speed to combine the ingredients, then increase the speed to medium and beat for about 6 to 8 minutes, or until the fudge cools slightly and begins to hold its shape.  Beat in the toasted pecans.  

Spread the fudge in the prepared pan.  Refrigerate for about 2 hours, or until firm.  Cut into squares.  Makes 36 (if you cut 6x6 rows) or 64 (if you cut 8x8 rows) pieces.

Enjoy!  -Cardamommy

Oreo Chunk Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

We're in the middle of the long course swim season right now, so we get to make treats for the concession stand at the meet that we are hosting.  I asked my Hungry Puppies what kind of treat they wanted to make, keeping in mind that this is an outdoor meet and it is going to be sunny and warm out.  After a ridiculous amount of debate, we narrowed it down to jumbo cookies.  My oldest Hungry Puppy had earlier thrown out the suggestion of making her Prize Winning Chocolate Covered Reese's Stuffed Oreos, and after another ridiculous amount of debate, we decided to put those components into a cookie.  We stuffed Oreo cookie pieces and mini peanut butter cups into these chocolate chip cookies, and they are kind of amazing. These cookies are enormous! So just make smaller dough balls and bake for slightly less time.

Oreo Chunk Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature

1/2 cup butter flavor shortening

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

4 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups chopped Oreo cookie pieces

1 1/2 cups mini peanut butter cup candies

Preheat the oven to 375F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl (or use a stand mixer) cream together the butter, shortening, sugar, and brown sugar, until blended and smooth.  Beat in the eggs and vanilla until incorporated.  Add two cups of the flour, the baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and beat until combined.  Add the remaining two cups of flour and beat until almost incorporated (you should still see flour in the dough).  Stir in the Oreo cookie pieces and mini peanut butter cups until evenly distributed, and no more streaks of flour remain.

Use a 1/4 cup measure to scoop the dough and place on the prepared baking sheet, six to a sheet.  The dough should be disk shaped (like the measuring cup).  Place in the preheated oven and bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until the edges are just golden brown and the centers are set.  Remove cookies from the oven and let cool on the pan for several minutes.  Transfer cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely.  Makes 24 to 26 jumbo cookies.

Enjoy!  -Cardamommy

Blueberry Muffin Rice Krispies Treats

Oh my goodness, we ran out of cookies.  No, I have no idea how I could have let this happen.  I'm feeling a little bit like I have failed as a mother and baker.  So with no time to make cookies, I threw together these amazing rice krispies treats.  My Hungry Puppies absolutely love rice krispies treats, which means that I really should make them more often.  I pledge now to do that.  Because these were stinking good.  I mean really delightful.  These basic rice krispies treats benefit from the addition of dry blueberry muffin mix and a white chocolate drizzle.  Note: I used a Jiffy muffin mix, and just used the entire box without haveing to worry about what to do with a partial box of muffin mix.  You can use about 1 1/4 cups of any muffin mix you have on hand.  Original recipe found here.

Blueberry Muffin Rice Krispies Treats

4 Tablespoons butter
12 ounces marshmallows (you can use mini or regular)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 box (7 ounces) Jiffy Blueberry Muffin Mix, dry unprepared mix (about 1 1/4 cup)
6 cups rice krispies
1/2 white chocolate chips, melted

Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.  Set aside.

Place the butter and marshmallows in a large microwave safe bowl.  Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring after each until marshmallows and butter are melted and smooth.  Stir in the vanilla and dry muffin mix until incorporated.  Add the rice krispies and stir until well blended.  

Pour the rice krispies mixture into the prepared baking dish and press evenly into the pan.  Drizzle the melted white chocolate over the top.  Let cool completely before cutting.  Makes 24 bars.

Enjoy!  -Cardamommy

Chocolate Covered Reese's Stuffed Oreos

Holy cow you guys, these crazy treats saved my life.  Well, figuratively.  You know when you just have a rough day?  A totally killer day that demands dessert therapy?  These little gems were there for me.  They also got my oldest Hungry Puppy a first place (by a large margin...) win in my husband's family reunion dessert bake off!  She wants every future reference to these cookies to be "Prize Winning Chocolate Covered Reese's Stuffed Oreos".  I can't really argue with that.  A Reese's peanut butter cup sandwiched between two cream side Oreos, covered in chocolate and sprinkled with sprinkles! Prize winning! and Life saving! Note:  You can easily change up the flavors.  Use golden Oreos, or chocolate cream Oreos, or any other flavor, and dip in milk, dark, or white chocolate, or colored candy melts!  Original recipe found here.

Chocolate Covered Reese's Stuffed Oreos

24 Oreos
12 Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, regular size
8 ounces chocolate almond bark, or candy melts, melted
Sprinkles

Carefully remove the tops of the oreos, keeping all of the cream on one side (Save the naked (no cream) cookies for another use).  Place a peanut butter cup on top of a cream side up Oreo.  Place a second Oreo on top of the peanut butter cup, cream side down.  Press together very gently.

Use a fork to dip the cookies in the melted chocolate, gently shaking off the excess.  Place the dipped cookies on a piece of wax paper and sprinkle with sprinkles, if desired.  Let sit until completely cooled and firm.  Makes 12 stuffed Oreos.

Enjoy!  -Cardamommy

Strawberry Cookies and Cream Ice Cream

This ice cream was seriously a stroke of genius.  I have been pondering the usage of Strawberry Nesquick Powder in baking, and I decided that if you like strawberry milk, you would totally like strawberry ice cream!  I thought, though, that it needed something more...like Oreos.  Because strawberry cookies and cream?  Yes please!  But could I somehow kick up the strawberry just another touch?  Yep.  A strawberry jam swirl.  This ice cream is totally a win.

Strawberry Cookies and Cream Ice Cream

1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
3/4 cup Strawberry Nesquick Powder
1 quart Half and Half
24 Oreos, coarsely chopped
1 cup strawberry jam

Place the sweetened condensed milk and strawberry milk powder in a large bowl. Stir until well blended.  Gradually whisk in the half and half until combined.  Refrigerate the ice cream base for several hours, or overnight.

When you are ready to freeze the ice cream, pour the ice cream base mixture into your ice cream maker and process according to the manufacturer's directions.  During the last several minutes of freezing time, add the chopped Oreos.  When finished freezing, transfer about 1/4 of the ice cream to a freezer container, then drop about 1/4 of the jam over the top and swirl with a knife.  Repeat with remaining ice cream and jam, finishing with jam and swirling it through the top layer.  Freeze.  Makes about 2 quarts.

Enjoy!  -Cardamommy

Caramel Hazelnut Swirled M&M Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies were totally a last minute "what can I do to chocolate chip cookies to make them better" creation.  I had zero inspiration until I walked down the peanut butter aisle at the grocery store this morning and saw the Jif Salted Caramel Hazelnut Spread.  And angels did sing, because ever since I made these cookies and these cookies, I want to swirl nutella into everything.  I decided that it would be amazing swirled into the M&M chocolate chip cookies that my oldest Hungry Puppy asked me to make for her last STEM meeting.  And since I can never just send plain chocolate chip cookies, I had to make them better.  Like I am constantly trying to one up myself.  There are worse things, I suppose.  These deliciously perfect cookies are full of chocolate chips and M&Ms and swirls of luscious salted caramel hazelnut spread.

Caramel Hazelnut Swirled M&M Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
1/2 cup butter flavor shortening
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons Vanilla Butternut flavoring (or just use vanilla)
4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups mini M&Ms
1 cup Jif Salted Caramel Hazelnut Spread (or just use Nutella)

Preheat the oven to 375F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl (or use a stand mixer) cream together the butter, shortening, sugar, and brown sugar, until blended and smooth.  Beat in the eggs and vanilla until incorporated.  Add two cups of the flour, the baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and beat until combined.  Add the remaining two cups of flour and beat until almost incorporated (you should still see flour in the dough).  Add the semi sweet chips, and mini M&Ms, and beat until evenly distributed, and no more streaks of flour remain.  Turn the dough out onto a large piece of wax paper and spread out flat.  Spoon dollops of the hazelnut spread all over the cookie dough, then fold the dough over once or twice to swirl the hazelnut spread, not incorporate it.  

Scoop the dough into tablespoon size balls and place on the prepared baking sheet.   Place in the preheated oven and bake for 8 to 9 minutes, or until the edges are just golden brown and the centers are set.  Remove cookies from the oven and let cool on the pan for several minutes.  Transfer cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely.  Makes about 7 dozen (about 85) cookies.

Enjoy!  -Cardamommy