Microwave Fudge

You mean I have been slaving over making fudge and you can make it in the microwave--no stirring, no sweating, no reading the candy thermometer!  Yes, it's true and here is the easy recipe for you to try it for yourself.  It has a little different texture than the Fantasy Fudge I make at Christmas, but it tastes just as delicious.

Microwave Fudge

1 (1lb.) box powdered sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1/4 cup canned milk
1 stick butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup nuts, optional

Combine sugar and cocoa in a glass bowl.  Stir together.  Add milk and butter on top and put in the microwave on HIGH for 2 minutes.  Stir together.  Add vanilla and nuts.  Stir and put in 8 x 8 inch dish.  Chill 1 hour, then score.

Very Moist Coconut Sheet Cake

We had a delicious dessert at one of our Relief Society activity nights.  This coconut cake is so moist and yummy!  Yes, this cake is to die for.  Wait and see!

Very Moist Coconut Sheet Cake

1 Duncan Hines White Cake mix
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 small box vanilla (or almond) pudding (I used vanilla)
1 teaspoon vanilla (or almond) extract (I used vanilla)

Mix together all ingredients until smooth and creamy.  Pour into a 9 x 13 pan that has been greased and floured. (I used Baker's Joy.)  Bake at 350 for 32 - 35 minutes or until tooth pick comes our clean.

1 can of cream of coconut
1 can of sweetened condensed milk

Mix these two ingredients together.  Poke holes in the hot cake and slowly pour this mixture over the cake.  Let cake cool and then frost with the following:

8 oz. container of Extra Creamy Cool Whip
12 oz. frozen grated coconut (Sprinkle this over the top of the Cool Whip)

Refrigerate at least 8 hours before serving.  Even better the next day!

Asian Pasta Salad with Chicken

Okay!  Talk about a delicious pasta salad--This is it!!  My friend, Judy, shared this recipe with me and it has become one of our favorites.  It makes a huge bowl so this is a good salad to take to any covered dish activity. 

**You have to make this salad the day before, so you need to plan ahead when you make it.

Asian Pasta Salad with Chicken

16 oz. bow tie pasta, cooked and drained
3 small cans mandarin oranges, drained 
1 (18 oz) bunch of fresh spinach
1/2 cup chopped parsley
4-5 green onions, chopped
1/2 - 1 cup honey roasted peanuts
1 can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
1 (5 oz) bag crasins
6 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed (I used my George Forman Grill)

Dressing:
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup teriyaki sauce
6 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
dash of pepper

Marinate cooked chicken and pasta in 3/4 of the dressing  (about 1 1/2 cups) over night.  Add other ingredients and remaining dressing then serve.

Leila's Swiss Chicken

The other day when I was looking through some of my old cookbooks to find something to make for dinner, I found a piece of paper with this recipe written on it.  It was a recipe I got probably 15 years ago from my dear friend, Leila, who lives in Utah.  I remembered how delicious it was and decided to make it.  Wow!  It was not only delicious, but it brought back wonderful memories of a special family who we will love forever.

Leila's Swiss Chicken

6 - 8 boneless chicken breasts
6 - 8 slices of deli sliced Swiss cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup water
1/2 - 1 package Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned Stuffing Mix
1/2 - 1 stick melted butter

Place chicken breasts in a baking pan and layer cheese slices over each breast individually.  (I did put salt, pepper, and garlic powder over chicken before I put on the cheese.)

Mix soup and water.  Drizzle over each breast, covering all.

Crush the stuffing and mound over each breast

Drizzle melted butter over each breast and bake at 350 for 50 - 55 minutes.

Aunt Elaine's Broccoli Slaw

My sister-in-law, Elaine, is a great cook.  Every family reunion she makes this delicious Broccoli Salad that everyone loves.  It's easy and delicious and I know your family will love it, too.

Aunt Elaine's Broccoli Slaw

1 - 2 bags of broccoli slaw
1/2 cup oil (I use canola oil)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 packet of Ramen Noodles, chicken flavor (orange package)
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup sliced almonds

To make dressing, mix together the oil, balsamic vinegar, sugar and flavor packet from the Ramen Noodles.  Mix well and set aside.

Crunch the noodles from the Ramen Noodle package. (I put them in a Ziploc bag and bammed the noodles with the handle of a knife.)  Add sunflower seeds and sliced almonds, then mix with the 2 Tablespoons of melted butter.  Spread on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 5 - 10 minutes.  Set aside.

When ready to serve, put broccoli slaw in a bowl and put the noodle, sunflower, almond mixture on top.  Pour the dressing over the slaw and noodle mixture.  Mix well and serve.
Crunchy and delicious!

**This slaw is best if eaten right away.  It's not as good the 2nd day because it loses it's crunch.  But don't worry, there probably won't be any leftovers anyway!.

Noel Loaf Cake

One last Christmas recipe--I know, I know--it's almost Easter.  Where are my Easter recipes?  Maybe I can get those to you by Christmas!  HAPPY EASTER!

Noel Loaf Cake

1 (6 oz.) jar red maraschino cherries
1 (6 oz.) jar green maraschino cherries
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/3 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Drain cherries well and finely chop.  Press gently between paper towels to absorb excess juice. Set aside

Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.  Gradually add sugar and beat until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating until the yellow yolk disappears.

Sift together flour, salt, and baking soda.  Stir in chopped cherries.  Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture.  Beat batter at low speed just until blended after each addition.  Pour batter into a greased and floured 9 x 5 inch loaf pan.  Bake at 325 degrees for 60 - 70 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean.  Cool in pan for 10 minutes.  Remove from pan and cool completely.

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.)

Potato Soup or Clam Chowder

Every Christmas Eve my daughter-in-law Brandi makes potato soup.  Since it's Christmas Eve, she makes it very special and buys bread bowls from Panera Bread to serve it in.  It is a very special evening anyway because we always celebrate her husband's (my oldest son's) birthday, which is Christmas Day.  Well this year she gave me her delicious Potato Soup recipe to share with you.  It's easy and sure to be a hit with your family.

Potato Soup

1 cup onions, diced small
1 cup celery, diced small
2 cups diced potatoes
Add just enough water to cover the veggies and simmer until tender.

Mix together:
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup flour
Pour over the veggies.

Add:
1 quart half and half (you can use fat free)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar

Cook and stir until thick.

**You can also use this recipe to make Clam Chowder.  If making clam chowder drain the clam juice from 2 (two) 6 1/2 oz. cans of clams over the veggies first and then simmer.  Add the clams to the mixture when you add the half and half, salt and sugar.  Cook and stir until thick.