Homemade Marshmallow Cream and Oatmeal Scotchies!

Christmas is over and we are planning on breaking out the raclette for New Year's Eve before starting the traditional diets on Jan 1st. Before all that gets posted however I thought I would post the favorite two recipes that went on the plates this year.

Best Ever Fudge

(the secrets of creamy fudge? Homemade Cream and brushing down the pan)

Homemade Marshmallow Cream

Ingredients:
3 large eggs whites
1/4 cream of tartar
2 Tb white sugar
1/3 c. water
3/4 c. light corn syrup
2/3 c. sugar (to be used separately)
1/2 Tb vanilla extract

Directions:
Beat egg whites and cream of tartar until light and foamy. Sprinkle in 2 Tb sugar and beat until soft peaks form. Let sit. In a saucepan melt sugar and corn syrup in 1/3 c. water/ Bring to a boil and stirring continually bring to 246 degrees or firm ball stage. Take off heat and slooooowlllly drizzle in egg whites while beating. Beat 5-6 minutes (honestly, I use to stop early but it's better if you do the full time) till stiff, shiny, and beautiful!

My Favorite Fudge Recipe

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. sugar

2/3 c. evaporated milk

2 Tb butter (real butter)

1/4 tsp salt

7 oz marshmallow cream (you just made enough for 2 batches)

1 1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips (the better the chocolate the better the fudge)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup pecans or walnuts (optional)

 

Directions:

Line a 8 inch dish with parchment paper or aluminum foil. In a medium saucepan boil sugar, evaporated milk, butter, and salt. Now for your secret to perfect fudge. Take a pastry brush and a cup of water. Dip the brush and when the mixture is boiling dip into the cup of water and really wet down the sides of your saucepan. A sweet elderly lady showed me this trick once for making divinity. It gets all the sugar granules that have crept up on the pan and keeps your fudge smooth instead of grainy! Keep stirring and boiling for 5 minutes or until candy thermometer reaches 234-240 degrees. The stirring also helps to keep the fudge from getting grainy or burnt! Remove from heat and quickly stir in marshmallow cream, chocolate chips, nuts and vanilla. Now use those muscles! The better you can beat the fudge the better the texture! Pour into 8 inch dish  and let cool. Enjoy!

 

Oatmeal Scotchies

 



 

I don't make these often. Something about these cookies makess me to lose all will power and self control. The butterscotch mixed with the oatmeal and cinnamon is the ultimate combination. My husband gets teased about liking butterscotch (I don't know, the guys in our family are wierd) but one taste and no one teases anymore.

Oatmeal Scotchies

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or grated peel of 1 orange
3 cups quick or old-fashioned oats
1 11-oz. package butterscotch chips
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Combine, flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla extract in large bowl. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in oats and butterscotch chips. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets. Yep, it's pretty simple and easy.

Bake for 10-12 minutes. Cool on baking sheets for 1 - 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Pumpkin Dinner Rolls

Do you still need a roll recipe for Thanksgiving?  These are so good.  Do not be scared, they don't really taste pumpkin-y.  Just soft and tender.  Sooo good!  You can easily half the recipe.
 

original recipe found HERE.

Pumpkin Dinner Rolls

Yield: 4 Dozen Rolls

 

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup warm water
2 cups warm milk
¼ cup butter, softened or melted (I warm it with the milk above)
2 cups mashed cooked pumpkin (I used canned)
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup wheat germ or whole wheat flour
10-12 cups all-purpose flour or bread flour
7 teaspoons dry yeast

Instructions:

1. In large mixing bowl, combine sugar, water, milk, butter, pumpkin, and salt. Mix well.
2. Add wheat germ, 7-8 cups of the flour, and yeast. Mix, and then continue adding flour and kneading until dough is elastic and not sticky.
3. Place dough in greased bowl; grease top of dough, cover with a towel, and set in a warm place until doubled (about 60-90 minutes).
4. Punch dough down and divide into thirds. Divide each third into 16 pieces and shape into balls.
5. Place on greased baking sheets, and grease tops. (I use two 11x15-inch baking sheets, and put 24 rolls on each.) Cover and let rise until almost doubled, about 30 minutes.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until tops are golden. Remove to wire racks and cover with a towel. Brush tops with butter if desired, as soon as rolls are removed to the wire racks. Serve warm with butter.

Most Wonderful Time of the Year

CREAMY HOT COCOA

Ingredients:
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup white sugar
1 pinch salt
1/3 cup boiling water 3 1/2 cups milk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup half-and-half cream

Directions:
1. Combine the cocoa, sugar and pinch of salt in a saucepan. Blend in the boiling water. Bring this mixture to an easy boil while you stir. Simmer and stir for about 2 minutes. Watch that it doesn't scorch. Stir in 3 1/2 cups of milk and heat until very hot (scalding), but do not boil! Remove from heat and add vanilla. Divide between 4 mugs. Add the cream to the mugs of cocoa to cool it to drinking temperature.

Top with marshmellows or the following delicious whipped cream:

PEPPERMINT WHIP CREAM

Whip 1 pint whipping cream with 1 cup of sugar.

Mix in 1 box of crushed candy canes,

1/2 bag mini marshmellows and

1 drop of red food coloring.

soooo good!

Happy July 4th!

Don't forget to make a Jello Cake decorated with whipped cream and berries.

Have a happy 4th of July!!

Easter Eggs Reborn

I know most people don't use a recipe for deviled eggs, but this is really good and different.

TEXAS DEVILED EGGS
•1 dozen extra large eggs, boiled
•1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
•2 Tbs. dill pickle relish
•1/3 c. mayo
•2 Tbs mustard
•3 Tbs. finely minced celery
•3 Tbs. finely minced onion
•1 Tbs. Texas Pete Hot Sauce (this brand is not that hot, kid approved)
•1 Tbs. honey
•Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Peel eggs and cut in half length wise.
Put yolks in bowl with all other ingredients and mix until well blended.
Put yolk mixture in a gallon size zip lock bag and squeeze contents into corner to use as a pastry bag (unless you actually have a pastry bag, then you may proceed fancy style)
Cut a small hole in corner and fill each egg white half overflowing.
Chill for 30 minutes and serve.

I usually don't add the pickle relish, celery or onion (I do prefer green when I use it though). You can of course also adjust your hot sauce level by adding more or less. You might want to also adjust your honey though as well.
I'll post a picture next time I make them.

Marbled Bread

After making tons of junkie snacks (and eating them yourselves) to make plates for other people, don't you get sick of sweet stuff? Then everyone has to bring you a plate of goodies as well. Wouldn't you rather have a warm loaf of pretty bread? When you cut into it, it's such a nice surprise. Doesn't it look delicious? It is. MARBLED LOAF
3-3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (divided)
1 pkg active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups milk
2 Tbs sugar
2 Tbs oil
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbs dark molasses
1 1/4 cups rye or whole wheat flour

In large bowl combine 2 cups of the plain flour and the yeast. In a saucepan heat milk, sugar, oil and salt just until warm (120 - 130 degrees). Add milk mixture to flour mixture. Beat with an electric mixer for 30 seconds than high speed for 3 minutes.
Divide batter in half.
To the first portion combine as much of the first flour as needed. Knead 6-8 minutes. Shape into a ball and put in a greased bowl, turning once to coat dough with oil. Cover.
To the other portion of the dough stir in molasses, rye flour and as much plain flour as needed.
Knead dough and place in bowl as you did with the first batch.
Let both rise in warm place until doubled in size, about 1 1/4 hours.
Punch both down and let rest for 10 minutes.
On a floured surface roll each dough portion out seperately into a 12x8 inch rectangle. Place dark dough on top of light. Roll up starting from short side and place in greased bread pan, seam side down. Let rise until nearly double, about 30 minutes.
Bake at 375 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes. (I had to cover mine with foil the last 10 minutes to keep from getting too brown). Immediately remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.

It is worth it.

Turkey Day Leftovers

I thought we had a pretty big house. Not so much when you stuff 24 people into it. It was worth it though!
This is a recipe that you can always add a little of this or that. I think it's different everytime I make it. We topped ours with leftover cranberry sauce.
Chicken (or Turkey) Bundles

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix together:
1 cup cooked chicken or turkey
8 oz soft cream cheese
2 TBS green onion
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
1/4 cup chopped mushrooms

Flatten crescent or biscuit dough and add mixture to each one. Roll and seal inside dough and roll in melted butter and then bread crumbs. Place seam side down on baking sheet.
Bake 20 to 25 minutes.
I have frozen these raw before and it worked out well.

Pumpkin + Breakfast

Ignore the spider, I made these Halloween morning. They would be great on Thanksgiving as well. Pumpkin Pie Pancakes

2 cups flour
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp ginger
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups mashed pumpkin (I just used canned)
3 eggs
1 cup milk
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla

Makes 2 dozen 3 inch pancakes.

After making these, I remember how much I like them and wondered why I don't make them year round. I think I will now.

Halloween Recipes

There is not too many things I make for Halloween. When I do make them however I will post them.
Until then, please refer to HERE or HERE for Halloween treat ideas that I do not have the time to make right now!

April Fool's Day Surprise

I've never been a big prankster.  In my dreams I am - in real life not so much.  What I would give to pull off a great prank on the whole family!  The faces, the laughter, the shock...probably not going to happen.  That's what happens when you've got a curious 3 year old in your face all day and two 1 year olds climbing your pants.  I barely get bathroom time. (thank goodness for locked doors!)

My mom did pull of a great joke one year, giving me mashed potatoes and gravy disguised as vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce.  It worked really well.  Either she's a great cook (which she is) or I am more gullible than I'd like to admit...she's a great cook, we'll leave it at that!

That said I think I'm actually going to try to pull something off this year.  I really am.  I found a plethera ("do you think I have a plethera?") of ideas here at Family Fun.  They always have good ideas.

Try one of the ideas on your family and let me know how it goes...I'll report back later. 

Oh, and for the more adventurous of you, my dear readers...here's one that is sure to shock people.  Take some ice cubes, dip them in chocolate, just like you would if you were making chocolates.  The chocolate will immediately harden around the frozen ice, a water-tight seal for the water.   Allow the chocolates to sit until the ice cubes have had a chance to melt, then serve.  

Trust me on this one, I know it works as a great joke... :)

St. Patrick's Dinner

St. Patty's Day has come and gone and we managed to get everyone dressed in green yesterday so no one got attacked by the pinch-eager children.  We also managed to have our traditional "Green Eggs and Ham" dinner.  I also requested the kids come up with anything else green that they wanted...zucchini and green jello (I mean, hello, we're from Utah).

I bought some great Black Forest ham, cut in nice, thick slices.  I popped it in my crockpot on low for the afternoon and it was perfect by dinner.  

The ham accompanied the nice, green deviled eggs.  I don't use a recipe for these, but the kids love them with Miracle Whip and dill pickle relish.  I just add a few drops of food coloring for the green effect.

The zucchini was sauted with a little butter and Lawry's Season Salt.  I cook it until it just starts to become opaque, still crispy.

The jello was a great ending to the meal. The kids love it with "stuff" in it, so I just added fruit cocktail when I put it in the fridge.

We had limeade to wash it all down.  I didn't get a picture of it, sorry!  It was so good we drank it all before I thought about it, but if it helps we're having Strawberry Limeade tonight... maybe I'll take a picture of that, or not!

Slow Cooker Sunday

BROWN SUGAR CHICKEN

2 lbs. chicken tenders

1 cup packed brown sugar

2/3 cup vinegar

1/4 cup lemon-lime soda

2-3 tbsp. minced garlic

2 tbsp. soy sauce

1 tsp. black pepper

Place chicken in crock.  Mix together all remaining ingredients and pour over chicken pieces.  Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours.  Serve over rice.

*** UPCOMING ON BROOKE'S KITCHEN MUSINGS ***

St. Patty's Day is Tuesday, Yay!  We have made a tradition of skipping the Corned Beef Hash and going straight for either an all green meal or Green Eggs and Ham.  Pictures to come...

Also upcoming, I'm thinking (seriously) about introducing either guest contributors, or a second full-time contributor to make this blog more diverse.  We'll see who's up for the task! :)