Chocolate Crunch

An excellent addition to your dessert table. Or, just make it and stand in the kitchen and eat it!

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 Tbl butter
1 Tbl oil
1 cup chopped nuts (*macadamia, almonds, pecans, walnuts or peanuts)
1 cup crisp rice cereal
1 cup white chocolate chips

Line a cookie sheet with foil. In a double boiler, slowly melt semi sweet chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, butter and oil. Stir and heat just until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Let cool  to tepid. Stir in nuts, rice cereal, and white chocolate chips. Spread into even layer of desired thickness in prepared pan, recipe will not fill the pan. Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes or until set. Break or cut into desired pieces.
*I used a mixture of macadamia and almonds

More Candy!

Pecan Toffee

Cool Mint Oreo Fudge

Crisp Chocolate Truffles

Pecan Caramels

Rocky Road Fudge

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Happy Halloween!

Here are some ideas for baking up something scary good for Halloween!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chex Scotcheroos

I am loving these chewy stacks of sweetness! Give them a try!

Chex Scotcheroo Stacks:
12 cups Chex cereal (I used corn and rice)
2 cups light corn syrup
2 cups sugar
2 cups creamy peanut butter

Line large trays or cookie sheets with parchment or wax paper or silpats. Measure Chex cereal into a large heatproof bowl. In saucepan, combine corn syrup and sugar over medium heat. Bring to boil then remove from heat and stir in peanut butter until smooth. Pour over cereal and gently fold together until cereal is completely covered. Scoop out onto prepared trays, I used a large ice cream scoop to make 30 stacks. When cool and set, make the topping.

Topping:
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips

In microwave safe bowl, add peanut butter, chocolate chips, and butterscotch chips. Microwave on 50% power for 3-4 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds until melted together and smooth. Spoon 1 Tbl of mixture over each stack. Let set up at room temperature or put in fridge to speed up the process. Makes 30 large stacks. Mixture can be pressed into a sprayed sheet pan and then drizzle topping over and cut into bars.

The original recipe is found at prettyplainjanes.com.

One Year Ago: Pumpkin Milk Chocolate Chip Blondies

Two Years Ago: Cinnamon Topped Pumpkin Bread

Three Years Ago: Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes

Four Years Ago: Butterscotch Mixed Nut Bars

White Chocolate Raspberry Fudge

A flavorful indulgence and easy to make. Not just for the holidays…Eat Fudge All Year!

1 (11 oz) bag white chocolate chips
1 (7 oz) jar marshmallow cream
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 cups sugar
pinch salt
1/2 cup raspberry jam

Line an 8″x8″ square pan with parchment paper, set aside. Place white chocolate chips, marshmallow cream, and vanilla in a large heat-proof bowl, set aside. In a saucepan over medium high heat, combine butter, cream, sugar, and salt. Bring to rolling boil while stirring constantly. Boil for a full 4 minutes, while continuing to stir. Pour boiling mixture over chips and marshmallow cream in the large bowl. With electric mixer, mix until chips have melted and mixture is smooth. Pour into parchment prepared pan and spread evenly. Working quickly, spoon raspberry preserves over top of fudge and swirl with a knife to marble. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours to set up. Cut into small squares to serve. Recipe from shugarysweets.com.

One Year Ago: Cinnamon Breakfast Biscuits

Two Years Ago: Chocolate Red Velvet Cupcakes

Three Years Ago: Cream Cheese Onion Rolls

Four Years Ago: Cherry Apple Pie

Sweet Chex Mix

I am revisiting this recipe because it is such a favorite! This time adding a couple more ingredients. Warning, once you start eating, you may not be able to stop.

7 cups Rice Chex cereal
5 cups Golden Grahams cereal
1½ cups sweetened shredded coconut
1½ cups honey roasted peanuts
1 cup sliced almonds
1 (5 oz) can chow mein noodles
3/4 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
Colored Sprinkles (optional)
M&M candies (optional)

In large bowl, stir together Rice Chex, Golden Grahams, coconut, peanuts, almonds, and chow mein noodles. In saucepan over medium heat, stir together butter, sugar, and corn syrup. Bring mixture to boil and continue cooking to”soft ball” stage…about 235° on candy thermometer. Pour hot syrup over cereal mixture in thin stream in stages. After each addition of syrup, gently fold and stir until all ingredients are well coated. If you want to add sprinkles, M&Ms, or other candies continue stirring until cooled enough to add and not to melt. Spread mixture out onto silpat lined baking sheet to cool completely. Store in airtight container.

One Year Ago: Biscoff Brownies

Two Years Ago: Marshmallow Caramel Popcorn

Three Years Ago: Coconut Toffee Ricotta Cheese Cake

Candy Popcorn

A perfect snack for the big game, or anytime!

12 cups popped popcorn
1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 cup sugar
Gel food coloring of your choice
1/2 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 225°. Lightly spray baking sheet, set aside. Put popped popcorn in large bowl. In medium saucepan over low heat, melt butter. Stir in corn syrup and sugar. Bring to boil stirring constantly, turn heat down to simmer to keep the mixture boiling and cook 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in food color and baking soda. Pour candy mixture over popcorn and stir to coat completely. Spread popcorn out on prepared baking sheet. Bake in oven for 40 minutes, stir every 10 minutes. (*I skip the oven part and it turns out great and saves a lot of time. I stir gently and break apart into little bitesize popcorn balls as it cools). Remove from oven and stir popcorn gently as it cools. Recipe from ourbestbites.com.

One Year Ago: All Star Vanilla Cupcakes

Two Years Ago: Maple Cinnamon Rolls (No Yeast!)

Three Years Ago: Bacon Cheeseburger Ring

Chocolate Covered Everything!

Sometimes I just feel like dipping! My husband and I have a favorite grab-and-go snack, peanut butter crackers. We have done a taste test of all the different brands and have our favorites. My husband prefers Keebler and I prefer Munchies by Frito-Lay. I believe it’s safe to say that we would eat any brand when it’s chocolate covered. After covering quite a few peanut butter crackers in chocolate, I start thinking what else needs a coat of chocolate? Tortilla chips. Oh my goodness, yummy! Please try it sometime. Then, when you have some melted chocolate left, throw in some nuts and raisins to coat and make clusters. This time I threw in almonds and dries cranberries. Happy snacking!

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 tsp shortening

In a double boiler over medium heat, melt chocolate and shortening, stirring until smooth. Turn heat down to low or turn off (can turn back on if chocolate starts to set up). When I dip, I use two forks to pick the item up and let excess chocolate drip off. For clusters, use a spoon. Set on sheet of wax paper on a baking sheet to set up. To set up quickly, put in refrigerator for about 15 minutes.

One Year Ago: Ham & Swiss Ring with Mustard Sauce

Two Years Ago: Supreme Pizza Ring

Three Years Ago: Glazed Cinnamon Snack Cake

Pecan Toffee

One more for the cookies plates. This is easy!

 

2 cups pecan halves
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Arrange pecans on a silpat lined baking sheet (or use wax or parchment paper). In saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in sugar, water, and salt. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture reaches 300° on candy thermometer. Pour in a small stream evenly over pecans. Quickly sprinkle mini chocolate chips evenly over toffee. Let sit to set up. Break into pieces when completely cooled and chocolate chips are solid again (they melt just enough while sitting on the warm toffee to adhere to the candy).

One Year Ago: Gingerbread Kids

Two Years Ago: Frosted Chocolate Mint Cookies

Three Years Ago: White Chocolate Candy Cane Fudge

Halloween Candied Gorp

Monstrously Good! Self control was nonexistent, so I had to wrap it up to give away!

  

1/2 cup honey roasted peanuts
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup almonds
1/2 cup broken pretzel (pretzel sticks broken in thirds)
1 cup Reeses Pieces
10 Halloween Oreos, coarsely chopped
1 pkg (16oz) CandiQuik Vanilla Candy Coating (or the like)

In a bowl, mix together peanuts, raisins, almonds, pretzel pieces, and Reeses Pieces. Pour out onto silpat or parchment paper lined baking sheet, arrange neatly. Place Oreo pieces evenly in with other ingredients, gently pressing and creating an even, level, organized pile ;o) . Place a quart size ziplock bag in a tall glass, folding over around the edge. Melt CandiQuik as directed on the package until totally liguid. Pour into prepared plastic bag, remove from glass. Hold securely and snip off one corner of bag and drizzle melted vanilla candy evenly over gorp mixture to cover. Using rubber spatula, lifting up and down, gently push the candy coating down into the gorp so when set up it all holds together (don’t stir, it will ruin the nice look of the candy). Let sit to set up. When set, break into pieces.

One Year Ago: Pumpkin Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Two Years Ago: Orange Hug Cookies

Three Years Ago: Chocolate Malt Brownies

Crazy for Coconut!

I love coconut, how about you? Here are some ideas for your coconut cravings…

   

   

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

One Year Ago: Chocolate Red Velvet Cupcakes

Two Years Ago: White Chocolate Cranberry Macadamia Nut Cookies

Three Years Ago: Parmesan Herb Rolls

If you are interested in Demarle bakeware and kitchen tools such as Silpat & Perforated Baking Sheet please visit mydemarleathome.com/kristenparker or simply click on the Demarle at Home logo below.