Brandy Cherry Fudge

 

This is for adults only because of the brandy but, believe me, you’re not going to want to share anyway. The combination of brandy, cherries, and chocolate is absolute heaven! It is dense, creamy, delicious, and perfect for the holiday season. It would make a fabulous host or hostess gift if you can bear to part with it.

Brandy Cherry Fudge 

1 3-oz. pkg. Melissa's Dried Tart Cherries

 2 T. brandy 

1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk 

2½ c. semisweet chocolate chips

 ¼ c. slivered almonds

Line an 8" x 8" pan with foil, allowing a 2" tail on either end for easy lifting.

 Soak cherries in brandy for 30 minutes.

In a large microwave-safe bowl combine sweetened condensed milk and chocolate chips. Microwave on high for 1½ minutes. Remove and stir until smooth. Stir in almonds and cherries in brandy.

Pour into pan and spread evenly.  Cover and refrigerate until firm, 1½ - 2 hours. Remove from pan, slice into 1" squares and serve.

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$100K Clusters

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When I am in need of a chocolate fix, and don’t want to run to the store, I throw together these luscious little morsels, pop them into the fridge until firm, and dig in. One is all I needs to satisfy that intense chocolate craving. Each bite fills your mouth with chocolaty deliciousness, that satisfying crunch, and little pops of chewy caramel goodness. They take no time to make, kids love to be involved, and everyone will enjoy the taste. These are an easy knock off of the $100K bar in cluster form. 

$100K Clusters

1 12-oz. pkg. semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 c. caramel bits
1 c. crispy rice cereal

In a microwave safe bowl (I use Duralex), melt chocolate chips, in 30-second intervals, stirring after each, until smooth and creamy. Immediately add caramel bits and crispy rice cereal, folding to coat. Using a tablespoon, drop dollops onto a Silpat or sheet of parchment paper. Allow to firm at room temperature, or put in the fridge until firm.

 

 

Salted Chocolate Crunch Bites

Admit it, occasionally you get a chocolate craving so fierce, that you will eat chocolate chips right of the bag. I know you’ve done it, so have I. But you can just as easily make a delicious, far more satisfying chocolate snack, in under five minutes. Sound impossible? It isn’t if you use this recipe. I can’t tell you how good these are! It sure beats getting chocolaty fingers from eating the chips straight from the bag with your hot little chocolate-deprived hands. These make chocolate cravings so much more civilized. The dusting of fleur de sel ads a hint of sophistication to your chocolate binge. You’re welcome!

Salted Chocolate Crunch Bites

1 teaspoon unsalted butter
8 oz. chocolate chips

1 cup Rice Krispies cereal
Fleur de Sel (optional)

Spray a mini muffin pan with Pam; set aside.

In a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl (I use Duralex) melt together butter and chocolate at 30-second increments, stirring after each. This will take anywhere between 1-1/2 and 2 minutes, depending upon the wattage of your microwave. When chocolate is melted, fold in Rice Krispies until evenly coated. Using a cookie scoop, scoop up portions to fill each well in the muffin pan. Dust with Fleur de Sel, if desired. Refrigerate until firm.

Makes 12.

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Another delicious and easy no-bake chocolate candy are these Heavenly Hash Clusters, loaded with chocolate, nuts, and marshmallows.

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Toffee Almonds

Back in the 70s, my mother used to make Mandarin Orange Salad. You may be familiar with it; it was comprised of lettuce, celery, chopped scallions, and mandarin orange segments, all tossed together in a light dressing along with toffee almonds. I loved that salad, but in my opinion, the toffee almonds were what made it. One time, she made the salad without those almonds, and it just wasn’t the same.

As a young person (and I was young once), I figured they were complicated to make. I mean, just look at them, they look like something you would find in specialty candy! But the fact of the matter is, they are very simple to make, and I wished I had asked my mother how to make them long before I actually did. There’s no need to provide you with a recipe for this, printable or otherwise, because it’s only two ingredients: sugar and almonds, at a ratio of 2:1.

Just place twice as many slivered almonds as sugar into the pan (Here I used 1/8 cup of sugar (2 tablespoons) to 1/4 cup of almonds), and set the burner to medium high.

Stir until the sugar melts and coats and toasts the almonds.

The aroma is incredible! Turn them out onto a cool plate to harden, and then break them apart.

So good! You may want to make a lot of these.You will certainly need them for tomorrow's recipe!

Candied Pecans and Vanilla Walnuts are also worth trying.

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Easy Salted Toffee Bars

I'm sure that we have all tried at least one version of this ubiquitous sweet. This chocolate-topped, hot syrup-over-crackers confection seems to turn up everywhere. But if you haven’t tried my version, using unsalted butter with a dusting of Fleur de Sel, then you haven’t really tasted this at its finest. These are sweet, no doubt about it, you don’t pour bubbling hot sugar syrup over a bed of graham crackers, top it with melted chocolate, and end up with something other than super sweet. But the Fleur de Sel cuts back on that sweetness, brings out the taste, with a hint of salty, that makes these so much more sophisticated than all of the other versions. They’re easy to put together, always a crowd-pleaser, and can be whipped up in well under an hour, including chilling time. Give my version a try.

Easy Salted Toffee Bars

1 package graham crackers

2-1/2 cups chocolate chips*

1 cup unsalted butter

1 cup light brown sugar

1 cup chopped pecans

1/4 teaspoon Fleur de Sel

Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a 9” x 13'' pan with foil and spray with PAM.

Place graham crackers, side by side, along the bottom of the pan, breaking and fitting where necessary. Set aside.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. When butter is melted, stir in brown sugar and pecans, and continue to stir, bringing mixture to a low boil. Boil for five minutes, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat; pour over graham crackers, and spread to cover. Bake in preheated oven for seven minutes.

Remove bars from the oven and sprinkle the top with chocolate chips. Return to oven for 1 to 2 minutes until chips become shiny, remove from oven and spread to the edges with an offset spatula. Sprinkle the top with Fleur de Sel. Place into the refrigerator until firm enough to cut.

*You can use semi-sweet morsels, milk chocolate morsels, bittersweet morsels, or any combination of the three.

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Another fabulous sweet recipe is this blog favorite, Twix Truffle Brownies. Try to stop eating them!

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Excruciatingly Easy Peppermint Patties

Number one son came by today to help me with a few things, and he was immediately drawn to the cute container full of chocolate candies, and, let's face it, who wouldn't be? He popped one into his mouth and exclaimed that they were really good. I thanked him, and told him that I had made them. His eyes widened; he couldn't believe that I had made something that looked so professional, and was so delicious. Your friends and family are going to feel the same. Make these. And then give them away as quickly as you can before you eat them all yourself. Yep, they are that good.

This week I am partnering with Eagle, making great use of one of my favorite products, Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk, wherein I hope to provide you, each day, with enough ideas to allow you to create a lavish and delicious dessert buffet for your holiday gathering, whatever that might be.

We're going to start off with a guaranteed crowd-pleaser, peppermint patties. I first made peppermint patties years ago. It was a huge pain. I used a recipe from a high-end gourmet magazine, and it was one heck of a lot of work. It was frantic, trying to keep the filling from drying out, having to keep it covered with a damp cloth, spray it periodically with a mist of water, and knead it off and on. I vowed right then and there that I would never make them again. Thanks to the people at Borden, there is a much easier way to do it. Thanks to my adaptation of their recipe, it is child’s play!

Excruciatingly Easy Peppermint Patties

Adapted from a recipe on eaglebrand.com

1 (14-ounce) can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk
1 tablespoon peppermint extract
6 cups confectioners’ sugar, plus additional for kneading
Green or red food coloring, if desired
 1 (12-ounce) package semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon Crisco or coconut oil

In the work bowl of a stand mixer combine sweetened condensed milk, peppermint extract, and food coloring (if desired). Add 6 cups of confectioners' sugar, and beat on low speed until smooth and well blended. Turn mixture out onto a work surface dusted with powdered sugar.

Knead to lightly form a smooth ball. Roll out dough on a confectioners’ sugar-dusted work surface to 1/4-inch thickness. Using a 1½-inch round cookie or biscuit cutter, cut out as many rounds as you can from the dough; discard scraps.

Allow medallions to dry for one and a half hours, turn over and let dry an additional hour.

In a double boiler over simmering water, melt together chocolate chips and Crisco or coconut oil, stirring until smooth. Dip each pattie into the chocolate mixture, turning to coat, and place onto a parchment-lined baking sheet to dry. At this point you can either sprinkle the tops with crushed peppermint candy, or allow them to dry to later be decorated with green or red candy melts as I have done here.

These taste like the real thing, everyone will love them. This recipe makes approximately 60.

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 Disclaimer: I received compensation from Eagle Brand Milk to create this post.

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Chocolate Fudge with Bourbon Sugar

The late Mr. O-P was more of a tippler than I am. I'm no teetotaler, mind you; it's just that whereas he was a wine and single malt scotch drinker, I go for drinks that are light on alcohol and heavy on paper umbrellas. As a consequence, when he passed away I found myself peering into a liquor cabinet with no idea what to do with all of the spirits that were taking up space. So, one bottle at a time, I started to cook with it. This is bourbon's week, and on the hunt for bourbon recipes, I found this one in an old issue of Bon Appétit. Wow! Is this ever delicious! I added a cup of broken walnuts, because I happen to like my fudge on the nutty side, but you can do what you like. This strikes me as a sweet that would be perfect for the holidays, that is of course, if you want to share.

Chocolate Fudge with Bourbon Sugar

Bourbon Sugar

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

1 cup demerara sugar

2 tablespoons bourbon

Fudge

Nonstick vegetable oil spray

10 ounces bittersweet chocolate (preferably 72%), coarsely chopped

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped

1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk

10 tablespoons (1¼ sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

2 tablespoons bourbon

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

1/2 cup broken walnuts, optional

Flaky sea salt (such as Maldon)

To make the bourbon sugar:

Preheat the oven to 150°F or to the lowest setting. In a small bowl, add the vanilla seeds, sugar, and bourbon. Mix well with a fork. Spread the mixture in an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the oven and let it bake until the mixture is dried (about 3 hours). Store the bourbon sugar in a seal tight container.

To make the fudge:

Line parchment paper on top of an 8x8 baking dish, leaving about 2 inches overhang on two sides. Lightly coat the parchment paper with oil spray.

Place heatsafe bowl over a small pot of simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water). Add the chocolate and stir until melted. Set aside.

In a small sauce pan over medium heat, add condensed milk, butter, bourbon, corn syrup, scraped vanilla seeds, and salt. Heat until it's hot, but not bubbling. Move the sauce pan away from heat.

Add 1/4 milk mixture into the chocolate and gently stir until incorporated. It's best to use a rubber spatula. The mixture might look lumpy and greasy, but it will eventually smooth out! Repeat the process 3 more times, stirring vigorously until the fudge is very shiny and smooth (elastic-like). About 5-8 minutes. Add the fudge mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the top with the rubber spatula.

Sprinkle the fudge with bourbon sugar and sea salt.

Let the fudge cool down before covering and chilling in the fridge for at least 4 hours.

Remove the fudge from the baking dish and cut into squares.

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Cherry Almond Haystacks

I have been obsessed, of late, with the cherry and almond combination. There is evidence of this in my Bing Cherry Amaretto Preserves as well as my Cream Scones with Amaretto Cherries. I decided to take this combination one step further and make a luscious chocolaty treat out of it. You're probably all familiar with haystacks. I remember these way back from when I was a kid. They're easy to make, no bake, everyone loves them; you simply can't go wrong with these. But I thought I would make them a little more sophisticated, so I added amaretto-soaked dried cherries and slivered almonds to the mix. These were so good I could have easily inhaled them. In fact, I had to hide them from myself to keep from doing just that.

These are the perfect summer treat because you don't have to heat up the oven to make them, and a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.  Here is an adult version of your childhood favorite. 

Cherry Almond Haystacks

1 3-oz. package Melissa's dried tart cherries

2 Tablespoons amaretto

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup butterscotch chips

1/2 cup chow mein noodles

1/2 cup slivered almonds

Soak cherries in amaretto until plump, about 20 minutes. Drain; set aside.

In a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate and butterscotch chips, at 30-second intervals, stirring after each, until smooth. Stir in chow mein noodles, almonds, and reserved cherries until well coated.

Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto a waxed paper or Silpat-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until set. Yield: 8 clusters. Feel free to double, triple, quadruple…you get the picture.

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Andes Mint Chocolate Chip Fudge

​Every time I go to visit my dad, I like to take him a special treat. He does love his sweets, and I know he misses my mom making them. As of this past Saturday, she has been gone now for four years, and it's a tough time for us both, not to mention our extended family.

From the time I was very small, dinner was not dinner without dessert. Ask my hips, and they'll tell you that I am wearing desserts I should have said "no" to. Dad tends to eat nothing but frozen meals because he isn't much of a cook, and has no interest in becoming one, and while I take him what I can, I think he most appreciates the goodies. Over the years I have delivered cookies, coffee cakes, cupcakes, and pie, but I think his favorite must be fudge; I seem to get the biggest reaction from that. One time he told me that he tasted the fudge early in the day, and then kept going back for another nibble. By day's end he realized he had consumed a pound of fudge. I figure anybody who is in as good health as he is, and is as old mature as he is, deserves to eat fudge.

I was looking for new fudge recipes and wanted to do something different to take in the last time I visited. I happened across this one, and it sounded like a winner. It also sounded easy to put together, plus I had everything on hand, so, why not? It was as easy as I’d suspected, and tasted like Andes mints. I am a huge mint and chocolate fan, and figured that the apple hadn't fallen far from the tree. It really hadn't, dad loved this fudge.

Andes Mint Chocolate Chip Fudge*

2-1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided

1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk, divided

1-1/2 cups white chocolate baking chips

1 teaspoon peppermint extract

2 drops green food coloring

1 teaspoon shortening

1/2 cup Andes Crème De Menthe Baking Chips

Line an 8" x 8" baking pan with foil, leaving a two-inch overhang on each side for easy lifting from the pan. Spray foil with non-stick spray and set aside.

In a small saucepan over low heat, melt 1-1/2 cups chocolate chips with 3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk, stirring occasionally. Spread melted chocolate mixture into pan and chill for 5-10 minutes.

In another saucepan, melt white baking chips and remaining condensed milk, stirring until completely smooth. Remove from the heat and add peppermint extract and food coloring. Spread mint layer over chilled chocolate layer. Chill for 5-10 minutes as you make the final layer.

Melt remaining 1 cup of chocolate chips with 1 tsp shortening in the microwave in 30-second increments. Stir until completely smooth. Spread over chilled mint layer. Top with Andes baking chips. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or until fudge is completely set (could take up to 4 hours).

Using foil edges, carefully lift from pan onto cutting board. Peel away foil and cut into squares. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to two weeks. According to the recipe, this fudge will freeze and thaw well, but, honestly, is fudge ever around long enough to necessitate freezing?

*As seen on Sally's Baking Addiction

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