Fudge Cookie Cutters

Well you might wonder why I suggested in a previous post to buy fall cookie cutters on sale.  I have done this activity during the Christmas holidays as a party favor and thought it would also be cute as the adult placeholder/party favor.  I borrowed the idea from seeing these $5 chocolate filled cookie cutters at the stores and thought I could duplicate this and for a lot less.

Simply lay out your cookie cutters on a cookie sheet lined with a piece of wax paper or parchment.  Make your favorite fudge recipe, I just used the recipe on the sweetened condensed milk package.

 Quickly fill the cookie cutter with the fudge, you can leave some space from the top to add sprinkles and decorative frosting.  Working quickly add any sprinkles you would like now.  Place the cookie tray in the fridge for a couple of hours or per your recipe.  Once the fudge is solid you can use decorative frostings to adorn the shape or just leave like it is.  Place them in Cellophane bags  and tie with a bow or twist tie.

This year I will place a treat on each adult's plate as a welcoming gift. I may also add a little tag with the person's name.  LIke I mentioned earlier, this can be used for any occasion you have the cookie cutter to go with!!

Another great table idea is if you have any extra uncarved pumpkins from halloween, cut off the top scoop out the insides.  Place a jar or vase filled with flowers.  You could also plant pansies inside for a longer lasting decoration.

Turkey Placeholders

The kids and I found these in Parents Magazine and thought it would be a great use of mom and dad's wine corks!! I have a hurricane vase on my bar and just pop them in there for activities just like this.  We are also hosting Thanksgiving this year which gave us another motivation to make these.  We adapted our turkeys slightly mainly because of supplies we had on hand.  You could also make a similiar version with a large pinecone.

Items you will need per turkey:
3 corks
1 pom pom
assorted feathers
plastic or wooden beads
small black pom poms
red/orange  and yellow felt
Glue gun
toothpick and craft paper

First we glued the three corks together in a triangle shape with a glue gun.  Then add the feathers on the side with two corks.  Place a pom pom (perferably larger than shown) onto the top of the featherless cork.  FOr the eyes add the tiny black pom pom into the whole of the bead.  Then glue them onto the pom pom.
Cut out a diamond shape out of the yellow felt, fold it in half, I glued it shut and glue to face.
Cut out the waddle with red or orange felt and glue under the head.

For the place cards we just used fancy edge scissors to cut paper but if you have a large decorative punch you would look more professional.  Write the name on the circle and tape to a toothpick.  Just push them into the cork.

  
Fun and reusable year after year.

Uses For Halloween Candy-Snicker Brownie bites

If you kids are like mine, they are so excited about their loot for the first couple of days, counting, sorting and eating as much as I will allow.  Well it is time for mom to go trick or treating in their bags and start using it in baking now or storing them for a later recipe.
Also don't toss that bowl of 2 1bs of Candy corn.  They make great turkey feathers. I will post our creations soon.  Also the whoppers can be used for faces of turkeys.
Most any non-chocolate candy will be a great addition to a gingerbread house.  There are no rules you have to stick with the candy that the box kit supplies.  Tootstie rolls make great logs, suckers are light posts, you can melt down starbursts and roll them for drapes or doors.  Just to think of a few.

Freeze any chocolate candy up to three months in a ziploc bag, not only does a frozen snickers bar taste better than room temperature they will be out of sight.

Today I needed to make a treat for the final soccer games.  I usually bring cupcakes but thought how could I use up some of this candy.  We had a large amount of snickers this year so we made Snicker Brownie bites.  This idea was adapted from Women's Day.  Instead of making the brownie from scratch as the recipe suggested I used a family size box of Brownie mix.

 Make them per the box directions.  Place mini-paper liners in your mini muffin pan.  Add a generous tablespoon of batter to each liner.  Put a mini or cut up to the size of a mini snickers bar in each.  Make sure to press them to the bottom of the pan.  The recipes says to then sprinkle with M& M baking chips, however I added a little more batter to cover each snicker and just topped with regular M&M's.  Bake them for 10-15 minutes if you dont add the extra batter and 16-18 minutes for the larger ones.  Don't worry if the snickers overflow.  I made about 34 mini bites, if you dont add the extra batter plan on 44-48.

We ran out of snickers and used crackle bars and baby ruth and know reese peanut butter cups, especially the minis would fit right in.

How you wonder did the kids so easily give up the candy, especially for a treat they might get one or two.  I offered to pay them .20cents per piece.(snack size) and they could give me the larger bars and we would measure how much each piece was worth. It turned out to be a good math lesson too!  They also loved cutting the bars in half and pressing them into the batter and then decorating with M& M's.
Also last year we made Monster cookies in which we add cut up pieces of candy into sugar cookies.

Barefoot Blogger Challenge-Recipe3 Peanutbutter & Jelly Bars

The third recipe I chose from the 5 Barefoot Blogger Challenge was the Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars.  I knew making the whole recipe would be detrimental to my waist line so I decided to only make 1/2.  The recipe is easily halved and I read on one of the reviews to use the Natural Peanut Butter and there is no need for the extra peanuts.  Well I had the Natural peanut butter and no nuts so I decided to take that recommendation!!

The only problem I found with this recipe was that the topping did not spread as much as I thought.  I wonder if the weight of the peanuts on top would make a difference?  Also I think next time I would add a little more Jam.  I used Strawberry Jam as that is what I had on tap.

The Verdict:

I felt like I was eating a PB & J sandwich.  I especially liked it warm!  The kids liked it but they were not begging for more.  I would make it again for a kids event that I was not worried about Peanut allergies.

ngredients

• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 cups (18 ounces) creamy peanut butter (recommended: Skippy)
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cups (18 ounces) raspberry jam or other jam
• 2/3 cups salted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease a 9 by 13 by 2-inch cake pan. Line it with parchment paper, then grease and flour the pan.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light yellow, about 2 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the vanilla, eggs, and peanut butter and mix until all ingredients are combined.

In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture. Mix just until combined.

Spread 2/3 of the dough into the prepared cake pan and spread over the bottom with a knife or offset spatula. Spread the jam evenly over the dough. Drop small globs of the remaining dough evenly over the jam. Don't worry if all the jam isn't covered; it will spread in the oven. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and bake for 45 minutes, until golden brown. Cool and cut into squares.

Barefoot Blogger Challenge-Recipe 2 CarmalizedButternut Squash

I happened to have a butternut squash I picked up at the store and was going to make soup,but I received this challenge which included maple roasted butternut squash and thought why not something different.  I was preparing a pork tenderloin so thought this would make a nice side dish.  I was especially curious about the whole cloves of roasted garlic that were part of the ending dish.

The most daunting part of this recipe is preparing the butternut squash which if you have never done it before, I saw that You've Got Supper.com has a video.
Well the kitchen smelled wonderful as the veggies roasted.

The result was a sweet and starching side dish.  The garlic was a little too roasted to spread on bread but we managed to get a few good ones.  The kids were not that interested even though they eat sweet potatoes.
I think I would remake this dish again for a dinner party of adults as a great side with a meat dish.
I halved this recipe as I had only 1 squash and it would easily feed 4 to 6 adults as a side.

ingredients

• 2 medium butternut squash (4 to 5 pounds total)
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut off and discard the ends of each butternut squash. Peel the squash, cut them in half lengthwise, and remove the seeds. Cut the squash into 1 1/4 to 1 1/2-inch cubes and place them on a baking sheet. Add the melted butter, brown sugar, salt, and pepper. With clean hands, toss all the ingredients together and spread in a single layer on the baking sheet. Roast for 45 to 55 minutes, until the squash is tender and the glaze begins to caramelize. While roasting, turn the squash a few times with a spatula, to be sure it browns evenly. Taste for seasonings and serve hot.

Barefoot Blogger Challenge-Recipe 1 Chicken Chili

As many of you know I am part of a blog, BAREFOOTBLOGGERS that tests Ina Garten recipes.  This month we have a challenge to do 5 predetermined recipes in a week.  The first one I accomplished was the Chicken Chili.  With the temperatures going down this was an easy pick.  I have never made a chicken chili before so I was a little skeptical but knew that I have found very few Barefoot Contessa recipes that I did not like.
I had many of the items in my pantry already, except I only had skinless/boneless chicken breasts as well as a few green peppers still in my garden.  I roasted the chicken per the recipe just cut the time down.

Everyone in the family enjoyed this recipe. I will definitely do it again.

Ingredients

• 4 cups chopped yellow onions (3 onions)
• 1/8 cup good olive oil, plus extra for chicken
• 1/8 cup minced garlic (2 cloves)
• 2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and large-diced
• 2 yellow bell peppers, cored, seeded, and large-diced
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for chicken
• 2 (28-ounce) cans whole peeled plum tomatoes in puree, undrained
• 1/4 cup minced fresh basil leaves
• 4 split chicken breasts, bone in, skin on
• Freshly ground black pepper

For serving:

• Chopped onions, corn chips, grated cheddar, sour cream

Directions

Cook the onions in the oil over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the bell peppers, chili powder, cumin, red pepper flakes, cayenne, and salt. Cook for 1 minute. Crush the tomatoes by hand or in batches in a food processor fitted with a steel blade (pulse 6 to 8 times). Add to the pot with the basil. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Rub the chicken breasts with olive oil and place them on a baking sheet. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast the chicken for 35 to 40 minutes, until just cooked. Let cool slightly. Separate the meat from the bones and skin and cut it into 3/4-inch chunks. Add to the chili and simmer, uncovered, for another 20 minutes. Serve with the toppings, or refrigerate and reheat gently before serving.

Apples, Apples, Apples

I received some apples from a friend who went to the local apple orchard a few weeks ago and have been meaning to write about the two things I baked up immediately afterward.

The first was  Praline Apple Bread http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1918535
that was in a recent Southern Living magazine.  Although decadent, it was a good breakfast or dessert bread.  I accidently added too many eggs so I made 1 1/2 times the recipe. The most challenging part of this recipe was making the Praline but that was not difficult. The family ate the larger loaf and I have the small one in the freezer.  I also added purposefully a few more apples.  I also forgot to add the pecans on top of the wet batter so I added them when I added the carmel sauce.  They did not stay on top as easily but still tasted good.

rep: 20 min.; Bake: 1 hr., 6 min.; Cool: 1 hr., 10 min.; Cook: 5 min. Sour cream is the secret to the rich, moist texture of this bread. There's no butter or oil in the batter—only in the glaze.

Yield: Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients

• 1 1/2  cups  chopped pecans, divided
• 1  (8-oz.) container sour cream
• 1  cup  granulated sugar
• 2  large eggs
• 1  tablespoon  vanilla extract
• 2  cups  all-purpose flour
• 2  teaspoons  baking powder
• 1/2  teaspoon  baking soda
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1 1/2  cups  finely chopped, peeled Granny Smith apples (about 3/4 lb.)
• 1/2  cup  butter
• 1/2  cup  firmly packed light brown sugar

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake 1/2 cup pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 6 to 8 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring after 4 minutes.

2. Beat sour cream and next 3 ingredients at low speed with an electric mixer 2 minutes or until blended.

3. Stir together flour and next 3 ingredients. Add to sour cream mixture, beating just until blended. Stir in apples and 1/2 cup toasted pecans. Spoon batter into a greased and floured 9- x 5-inch loaf pan. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup chopped pecans; lightly press pecans into batter.

4. Bake at 350° for 1 hour to 1 hour and 5 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, shielding with aluminum foil after 50 minutes to prevent excessive browning. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack.

5. Bring butter and brown sugar to a boil in a 1-qt. heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly; boil 1 minute. Remove from heat, and spoon over top of bread; let cool completely (about 1 hour).

Note: To freeze, cool bread completely; wrap in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil. Freeze up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.

The second recipe was a apple crostada by Ina Garten.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/apple-crostata-recipe/index.html

It is like a short cut apple pie.  I cheated as I had a refrigerated pie crust already so I was able to skip the pastry making step.  I am sure a homemade crust would have tasted differently but once you bake it and add some vanilla ice cream who cares.

Halloween Wrap Up

I hope you all had a wonderful night of tricks and treats.  The day after any holiday is the best time to get good deals on items for next year at a great price.  Take inventory of what you have and buy a few extra treats for school parties etc, just remember to sign up for that holiday next year!!
If you are hosting thanksgiving or need a teachers treat, look for discounted leaf, pumpkin and even turkey cookie cutters at your craft stores.  Only the 2 -3 inch size will be needed for a great and easy favor I will post in the next few weeks.  Also start collecting wine corks and large empty mason jars  that will become useful for the holiday season.

Don't only think about items to buy, last year I acquired a cute pair of 3 foot spider posters that Toys R Us was throwing away in order to put up their Christmas singage.  I simply asked them if I could have them, a great way to recycle!!
Also I wanted to share the pictures of "eyeballs" that I received from readers after reading the Pretzel treats entry.  Feel free to email me your special holiday treats to share.

This reader used a biscuit cutter to cut out brownies as the base.