Lemon Fudge

In our home growing up, it was a holiday tradition to have a big pan of my mom’s Rocky Road Fudge in the fridge. This recipe for Lemon Fudge is a fun flavor twist on the classic fudge. Now we can have 2 pans of fudge in our refrigerator, choose a flavor or have both!

3-4 lemons
1/2 cup sugar
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup butter
3 cups white chocolate chips
zest of 1/2 a lemon, very fine
yellow food coloring
sprinkles

Line an 8″x8″ square pan with parchment paper. To make the lemon simple syrup, use a peeler to peel strips of just the yellow of one lemon (you don’t want the white part). Juice the lemons until you have 1/2 cup strained lemon juice (free of pulp and seeds), I had large lemons and only needed 2. Place the peel strips, lemon juice, and sugar in a heavy-bottom saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and cook stirring often for 7-10 minutes, until thickened and reduced by about half. It should be the color of pale honey. Set aside.

Combine the sweetened condensed milk, butter, and white chocolate in a medium heavy-bottom saucepan. Stir over low heat just until warm and everything melts and combines (be so careful so the white chocolate doesn’t seize). Take off heat and stir in the lemon syrup, lemon zest, and as many drops of yellow food coloring to make the desired color. Pour the mixture into the lined baking pan. Top with sprinkles. Leave for 30 minutes to cool at room temperature, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Cut into squares and serve. Recipe found at sugarsaltmagic.com.

Favorite Pies!

Here is what I am making to take for our family’s Thanksgiving dinner. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day with delicious PIES!

Lemon Truffle Pie is a tart, sweet, creamy addition for any occasion. This has become a favorite to make whenever we get together as a family.

Cherry Apple Pie is a three-generation family favorite. In fact, when it is my oldest son’s birthday, this is his request instead of cake.

Triple Chocolate Hazelnut Pie is a chocolate lover’s delight! Totally worth the work and the calories.

My Pumpkin Eggnog Pie has one simple change to the old favorite, substitute eggnog for the milk in the good ol’ pumpkin pie recipe. For another flavorful twist, this year I think I will put the filling in a ginger snap crumb crust.

This recipe for Old Fashioned Raisin Pie is my dad’s favorite, it is also one of the most viewed recipes on my website.

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Fudge Cream Pie is a recipe I made up back in 2012. If you love peanut butter, chocolate and pie, your tastebuds will be very happy!

Coconut Lemon Mini Cupcakes

These little babies were well received at Book Club and work. So light, they couldn’t possibly have too many calories or be bad for you!

Coconut Cupcakes
1 box white cake mix
1 cup coconut, processed in food processor
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
1½ cups coconut milk

Preheat oven to 350° and put mini cupcake papers in mini cupcake pan. With electric mixer, mix cake mix, coconut, eggs, oil, and coconut milk for 2 minutes. Scoop batter into prepared cupcake pan, filling each cup about 3/4 full. Bake 15-18 minutes, until top is set and springs bake when touched. Cool completely before frosting.
Makes approx. 48 mini cupcakes.

Lemon Buttercream
1 cup butter, softened
5 cups powdered sugar
1 lemon, finely zest and squeeze juice
2-3 Tbl cream
yellow food color
coconut

Beat butter with electric mixer for 5 minutes until creamy lighter in color. Add powdered sugar, zest. Add enough food color, cream and juice to make desired color, consistency and taste. Pipe onto completely cool cupcakes, and dip frosted top of cupcake in bowl of coconut.

White Chocolate Lemon Oreo Blondies

I’m obsessed with these blondies, they are lemony delicious!

1 cup butter
11.5 oz white chocolate (chips or bars)
1½ cups sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2½ cups flour
1 tsp salt
20 Lemon Oreos, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 9″x13″ baking pan with foil, leaving overhang on each end, and spray with nonstick spray. Put butter and white chocolate in large microwave safe bowl. Melt in microwave on about 1/4 power for 4-5 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds. Must be done slowly so white chocolate doesn’t seize. When butter and white chocolate are just melted and creamy, stir in sugar and vanilla. Add flour and salt, and stir until well incorporated. Stir in chopped Lemon Oreos. Spoon into prepared pan, spread evenly. Bake 45-50 minutes (If necessary, tent with foil last minutes of baking to avoid over-browning). Cool completely. Using foil overhang, lift blondies out of baking pan to cutting board. Peel foil away from blondies and cut into squares. Makes 24.

One Year Ago:

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Five Years Ago:

Peanut Butter & Banana Oatmeal Bake

This is a delicious way to eat your oatmeal!

4 cups old fashioned oats
1½ tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2¹⁄3 cups almond milk (or other milk)
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
3 bananas, mashed
1/2 cup peanut butter, creamy or crunchy

Preheat oven to 375°. In medium bowl, stir together oats, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In large bowl, stir together milk, brown sugar, vanilla, maple syrup, and lemon juice. With electric mixer on lowest setting, mix in bananas and peanut butter. Add oat mixture and mix just until incorporated. Pour mixture into sprayed 13″x9″ baking pan, spread evenly. Bake 20-25 minutes, until set. Serve while hot on a plate or in a bowl with syrup, cream, milk, bananas, raisins, you decide! Leftovers can be kept in an airtight container in refrigerator for 5-7 days and reheated. You can make half a batch and bake in 8″x8″ or 9″x9″ baking pan. Recipe from shelikesfood.com.

Other Breakfast Ideas:

 

 

Sweet Roll Heaven!

When planning a family breakfast, is there any question that there should be homemade sweet rolls on the menu? To me it is one of the most wonderful comfort food there is, hot from the oven with a heavenly aroma hanging in the air. Here are some ideas for Easter breakfast or any morning.

If you’re not an early riser to start the recipe in the morning (how many of us are?) make them the night before up to the step where you put the rolls in the pan. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator. Take the rolls out in the morning, remove plastic wrap, cover with a towel and let sit for 1-1½ hours then bake as directed.

Happy Family Breakfast Time to All! Happy Easter!

 

    

    

    

    

    

    

 

One Year Ago: Cinnamon Oatmeal Brownies

Two Years Ago: Lone Star Chicken Enchiladas

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.

Glazed Lemon Blondies

There is just something about moist square tasty items that you can sink your teeth into, brownies, blondies, sheet cake, bars of all kinds. I admit, it’s a problem for me, but I am willing to live with it!

Lemon Blondies:
1/2 cup butter, melted
1½ cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 Tbl lemon
zest of 1 lemon
1¼ cups flour
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 9″x9″ baking pan with foil, spray with non-stick spray. Stirring by hand, mix butter, sugar and vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time beating after each addition. Stir in lemon juice and lemon zest. Mix in flour and salt. Pour into prepared baking pan, spread evenly. Bake 25 minutes. Cool and glaze.

Lemon Glaze:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 Tbl lemon juice

Stir together powdered sugar and lemon juice. Spread over cooled lemon blondies. Remove from baking pan pulling out with foil. Set on cutting board, pull back foil and cut into tasty squares.

One Year Ago: Graham Cracker Chocolate Chip Muffins

Two Years Ago: Big Pink Frosted Sugar Cookies

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.

Lemon Cupcakes with Raspberry Buttercream

Whenever I can, I like a shortcut…as long as the end product is presentable and delicious. These lemon cupcakes are light and tender with creamy raspberry buttercream, definitely presentable and delicious!

Lemon Cupcakes:
1 (15.25 oz) yellow cake mix
1 can (15.75 oz) lemon pie filling
3 eggs
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350°. Put cupcake liners (makes 24) in cupcake pan. In large bowl with electric mixer, mix cake mix, lemon pie filling, eggs, oil, and milk. Scoop batter evenly into prepared cupcake pans. Bake for 18 minutes or until set in center. Cool in pan 5 minutes, remove to wire rack and cool completely.

Raspberry Buttercream:
1 cup butter, softened
4 Tbl seedless raspberry jam
5 cups powdered sugar
4 Tbl milk

With electric mixer, whip butter until light and fluffy. Add jam and whip. Add powdered sugar one cup at a time and milk one Tbl at a time, whipping until desired consistency.  You can add a couple drops of red food coloring if desired. Frost completely cooled cupcakes.

One Year Ago: Coconut Vanilla Oatmeal Cookies

Two Years Ago: Humming Bird Bread

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

Frosted Lemon Sugar Cookies

Craving something lemon? Hopefully these will make you pucker and smile!

Lemon Sugar Cookies:
10 Tbl butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
2 Tbl lemon juice
zest of one lemon
2 cups flour
1½ tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

With electric mixer, cream butter and sugar. Add egg, lemon juice, and lemon zest; mix well. Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt; add to creamed mixture. Mix until well combined. Cover and chill at least 3 hours. Preheat oven to 375°.  Working with 1/2 of dough at a time, on lightly floured surface roll to 1/4″ thick. Cut with cookie cutter, place on ungreased cookie sheet or Silpat lined sheet. Bake 8 minutes or until edges barely start to turn golden. Cool completely before frosting.

Lemon Buttercream Frosting:
1/2 cup butter, softened
2½ cups powdered sugar
3-4 Tbl lemon juice
drops yellow food color (optional)
raw cane sugar for sprinkling (optional)

Whip butter with electric mixer until light and creamy. Add powdered sugar and one Tbl of lemon juice at a time until frosting is a creamy spreading consistency. Add yellow food color if using. Frost each cookie and sprinkle with raw cane sugar if desired. Makes 2½ dozen 2½” round cookies.

One Year Ago Today: Vanilla Cupcakes with Red Velvet Surprise

Two Years Ago Today: Sausage Potatoes & Artichoke Hearts

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

Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Apricot Bars

I am revisiting a favorite of mine. I have no self-control when I make these bars. In my mind I think, “OK, it is just better when they are gone so they are not around to tempt me”…then I proceed to finish them off. I know, I’m a little nuts when it comes to sweets! Make these bars with dried apricots, dried cranberries, dates, raisins, or a mixture, change up the combination with different chips too. How about raisins and cinnamon chips? Oh no, now I need to whip those up, I better make a plan for giving them away or my jeans won’t fit.

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups flour
1½ cups quick or old-fashioned oats
2 tsp lemon zest
2 tsp lemon juice, divided
1 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
1 cup white chips
1 cup chopped dried apricots (can use dried cranberries, dates, raisins, etc.)
1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

Preheat oven to 350°.  Line 13 x 9 baking pan with foil and spray with non-stick spray.  In large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until creamy.  Mix in flour, oats, lemon zest, and 1 tsp lemon juice until crumbly.  Reserve 2 cups of mixture.  Press remaining mixture onto bottom of prepared baking pan.  Bake for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth.  Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk and remaining 1 tsp lemon juice.  Pour cream cheese mixture over hot crust, sprinkle mini chocolate chips, white chips, and chopped dried apricots. Sprinkle with reserved flour-oat mixture and gently pat down.  Bake for additional 25 to 30 minutes or until center is set.  Remove from pan and cool completely in pan on wire rack.  Grab foil and remove from pan.  Peel foil down from sides and cut into desired size bars. Enjoy the whole pan or share with others!

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