Chex Peanut Butter and Chocolate Blast

I was looking for some Christmas munchies and came across this Chex recipe at www.chex.com.  Everyone loved it.  Usually when you make something like this everyone eats the candies and peanuts and you're left with the cereal.  With this mix, everyone loved the coated cereal and left the candy and nuts. Go figure!


Chex Peanut Butter and Chocolate Blast

6 cups Rice Chex cereal
1 cup white vanilla baking chips (8 oz.)
1 cup peanut butter chips
1 cup M & Ms (I used red and green for Christmas)
1 cup dry-roasted peanuts

Line 2 cookie sheets with waxed paper or foil.  Place 3 cups cereal in a large bowl.  In a small microwavable bowl, microwave white vanilla baking chips uncovered on High about 1 minute or until chips can be stirred smooth.  pour melted chips over cereal in bowl.  Stir to evenly coat.  Spread mixture in single layer on one of the cookie sheets.  Refrigerate 5 minutes or until set.

Repeat the above using the remaining cereal and the peanut butter chips.  Refrigerate 5 minutes or until set.

Gently break up coated cereal into large bowl.  Add candy and peanuts.  Stir gently to combine.  Store in an airtight container.

Divine Divinity Fudge

So, here it is the middle of March and I'm just sharing my Christmas recipes.  Well, at least you'll have them next Christmas!  I've always wanted to make Divinity Fudge but was hesitant to make it.  Everyone said, "It's really hard."  "You have to have that special touch."  "You need a good mixer." (this one is true)

It took me three times and three recipes, but I found the recipe that wasn't really hard, that you didn't need to have that special touch, but you definitely needed a good mixer.  They say, "The third time's a charm." (this is true, too!)

Divine Divinity Fudge

2 egg whites
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (not imitation)
1/2 cup chopped pecans

  In a heavy saucepan, over medium to medium high heat, stir sugar, corn syrup and water.  Stir only until sugar has dissolved .  Don't stir after that point.  Let syrup mixture cook until the temperature reaches 260 degrees F on a candy thermometer, or the hard-ball stage.

While syrup is cooking, beat egg whites with an electric mixer at high speed until stiff.

Once sugar mixture reaches 260 degrees, remove from heat and pour in a thin steady stream into the beaten egg whites, beating constantly with an electric mixer on high for about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl.  Add the vanilla, and continue beating on high just until the candy starts to lose its gloss, about 5 - 6 minutes.  When the beaters are lifted, the mixture should fall in a ribbon that mounds on itself.  Add the pecans, stir to mix, and quickly drop the mixture by tablespoons onto a baking sheet lined with waxed paper or parchment.
(I used two spoons--using one spoon to push the candy off the other.)

**If the mixture flattens out, beat again for 1 minute more.  If the mixture is too thick to drop, beat in a few drops of hot water until the candy is a softer consistency.

The recipe also said you could pour the candy into a pan and cut into squares. 

Here were some other suggestions:

• Use peppermint extract and tint divinity with green or pink.
• Use almond extract with chopped marishino cherries and tint pink.
• You don't have to use nuts.

Interesting!

Hot Water Gingerbread Cake

Here's a dessert that is out of this world! 

My son requests it every Christmas for his birthday cake.  It is his favorite Christmas dessert--and is sure to be yours!  Thanks Brandi, for sharing--again!  Love you!

Hot Water Gingerbread Cake with Hot Butter Sauce

2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup boiling water
1 cup molasses
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup margarine
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Dissolve baking soda in boiling water.  Add other ingredients in order listed. 
Mix and pour into greased 9 x 13 pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 - 40 minutes.

Hot Butter Sauce

1/2 cup butter (no substitutes)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine all ingredients but vanilla in heavy saucepan.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Add vanilla.  Serve hot over cake.
(If sauce seems grainy after it has simmered, add up to 1/3 cup more cream.)