MARTHA WASHINGTON BALLS

I got the recipe for these little candies that taste like Almond Joy candy bars from my sister-in-law several years ago.

2 boxes of confectioner's sugar
1 stick of butter (1/2 cup), softened 
(must use real butter, no substitutes)
1-14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp pure almond extract
1-14 oz bag pkg. shredded coconut
1 1/2 cups chopped nuts
1-12 oz. pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 bar paraffin

Cream together sugar and butter in a bowl; add milk. Stir in almond extract, coconut and nuts; mix well. Form candy into 1-inch balls. Place on waxed paper and refrigerate for 3 hours. Melt paraffin and chocolate in top of double boiler, stirring well. Remove from heat but allow chocolate to remain over hot water. (If chocolate becomes too thick, return to heat for a minute or so to thin). With toothpick, dip each ball in chocolate and place on waxed paper to set.

Alternatives:
1. Just use melted chocolate chips w/o the paraffin. It is more difficult to get good coverage, messy and frustrating. You will not get the shine, but you are not eating paraffin, if that bothers you.
(Shocking news: Most chocolates that you buy have paraffin mixed with the chocolate.) 
2. Use melted almond bark with a little vegetable oil or Crisco added to get even coverage. Place dipped candies in the freezer for five minutes, to get the shine. (Almond bark will make the candies sweeter).

Too bad these aren't diabetic-friendly since Almond Joy is my favorite candy bar!  Enjoy some for me!

OLD FASHIONED KENTUCKY PEANUT BUTTER ROLLS (CANDY)

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 c white sugar
1/2 c water
1/2 c corn syrup, light
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 egg whites
creamy peanut butter
enough powdered sugar to well coat working surface

Directions
1 First beat the 3 egg whites until stiff.
Next prepare the surface to roll out the candy. Cover the surface with wax paper and spread a thick layer of powdered sugar.
Next mix all ingredients except vanilla, egg whites, and peanut butter in a large pot and boil. Stirring continuously, until ball forms. (Like when making fudge or candies) the ball should be hard and have a soft crack. Add vanilla.
Slowly pour the mixture over the egg whites while mixing with a blender the whole time. Continue to mix until the candy has cooled and resembles the texture of marshmallow cream.
Pour onto powdered sugar working surface and roll thin (powder sugar your roller)
Spread a thin layer of peanut butter.
Roll up and cut. (Cut the pieces using a piece of thread to keep its form and layers).

From a friend of mine in Kentucky.

LEMON CAKE WITH LEMON VANILLA SAUCE

I got this recipe years ago from a friend.

Lemon Cake with Lemon Vanilla Glaze 

3 cups all-purpose flour 
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 lemons, zested
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3/4 cup buttermilk 
3 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter, room temp (2 1/4 sticks) 
2 cups sugar 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously spray 12-cup Bundt pan with nonstick baking spray or brush the pan with butter and sprinkle with flour. Zest lemons until you have 2 tablespoons. Squeeze lemons to get 3 tablespoons. Combine lemon juice and zest in a small bowl and set aside.

Next, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in large bowl. In a separate medium bowl, mix together your lemon/zest mixture, vanilla, and buttermilk. In small bowl, gently whisk eggs and yolk to combine. With electric mixer, cream butter and sugar at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes; scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula. Then at medium speed add the eggs, mixing until incorporated. Reduce to mixer to low speed and alternate adding flour and then buttermilk, mixing until just incorporated. Then mix at medium-low speed until batter is thoroughly combined, . Pour batter into prepared bundt pan.

Bake on center rack until top is golden brown and wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into center comes out with no crumbs attached, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool cake in pan on a wire rack set over baking sheet for 10 minutes, then invert cake directly onto rack.

GLAZE

2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 cups confectioners' sugar (8 ounces)
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

Whisk 2 tablespoons lemon juice, melted butter, and confectioners' sugar until smooth, adding more lemon juice gradually as needed until glaze is thick but still pourable. Once cake has cooled, pour half of glaze over warm cake and let cool for 1 hour. Come back after an hour and pour the remaining glaze evenly over top of cake and continue to cool to room temperature. Cut cake into slices and enjoy!

NOTE: This recipe calls for a 12 cup bundt or tube pan. For the cake in the photo I used two 7 inch mini tube pans which was a perfect size to share one and keep one. 

CHOCOLATE-PEANUT BUTTER SHEET CAKE

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup water

1/2 cup butter, cubed

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup baking cocoa 

3 eggs

1/2 cup sour cream

2 tsp vanilla extract

Frosting:

3 cups confectioners' sugar

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup milk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup chopped peanuts, salted or unsalted

Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan, set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. In a small saucepan, combine water, butter, peanut butter and cocoa, bring just to a boil, stirring occasionally. Add to the flour mixture, stirring just until moistened.

In a small bowl, whisk eggs, sour cream and vanilla until blended, add to the flour mixture, whisking constantly. Transfer batter to the prepared pan and bake 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Prepare the frosting while the cake bakes. In a large bowl, beat the confectioners' sugar, peanut butter, milk and vanilla until smooth.

Remove cake from oven to a wire rack. Spread the frosting, immediately over the cake and sprinkle with peanuts. Allow to cool completely before cutting to serve.

Yield: 15 servings

toh 2015

DOUBLE DECKER MARBLED MELTAWAY FUDGE FROM HERSHEY'S

This is an old recipe ad for some delicious chocolate-peanut butter marbled fudge.

 

CINNABON CINNAMON ROLLS COPYCAT RECIPE

For those of you who love these rolls and want to try your hand at making them, here is a recipe my friend shared.

makes 12 cinnamon rolls

Rolls
2 ¼ teaspoons yeast
1 cup water warm (110-120)
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup buttermilk
2 eggs
7 tablespoons butter, divided
5 ½-6 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt

Filling
½ cup butter, softened
1 ½ cups light brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon cornstarch

Frosting
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cups powdered sugar
½ tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon kosher salt

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook; add water, sugar and yeast.  Swirl to combine.  Allow yeast to bloom, about 5-7 minutes.  

In the meantime:  melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a microwave safe bowl.  Combine buttermilk, eggs and butter. Beat with a fork until eggs are mixed.

Once yeast mixture is bubbly and frothy, add buttermilk mixture to bowl of stand mixer.  Mix on low and add 4 cups of flour, one cup at a time.  Add salt.  Once flour is mixed in, add remaining flour slowly until dough becomes a ball and completely pulls away from the walls of the mixer.  Your perfect dough ball will clean the bowl.  Mine takes 5 ½ cups total.  Knead dough on medium-high for 5 minutes.

Lightly dust countertop with flour.  Turn dough out onto countertop.  Knead a few turns, shape dough into a ball.  

Add 1 tablespoon butter to bowl and heat in microwave until melted.  Place dough into bowl upside down, flip dough over and cover loosely with plastic wrap and drape bowl with a towel.  Set bowl in a warm place in your kitchen.  Allow dough to rise for 60-90 minutes until nearly doubled in size.

Meanwhile combine light brown sugar, cinnamon and corn starch in a medium bowl.  Stir with as fork until combined.  Set aside.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface.  Knead the dough a few turns, then using a rolling pin, roll out into an 18” tall  x 24” wide rectangle.  Spread softened butter around dough leaving the bottom 1” uncoated.  

Sprinkle buttered dough with brown sugar mixture, leaving the bottom 1” uncoated.  Press sugar mixture into dough by gently rolling with your rolling pin.

Starting at the top, tightly roll dough toward you, using the last 1” to seal roll.  Cut dough roll in half and then cut those halves in half, giving you 4 pieces.  Cut each of those pieces into 1/3rd.   You will have 12 pieces.

Grease (2) 9”x13” baking dishes.  Place rolls in pans evenly spaced out, 2 rows of 3 rolls in each.  Make sure to put the end pieces upside down.  Loosely cover with plastic wrap and drape a towel over pans.  Set pans in a warm place and allow rolls to rise another 60-90 minutes until rolls have doubled in size and are touching.

Preheat oven 350°F.  

Bake for approximately 20 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.  Halfway through baking time rotate the pans.

In the meantime prepare frosting; add cream cheese and butter in a large mixing bowl.  Beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.  Add sugar, lemon juice, vanilla and salt.  Beat until mixture is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.  Set aside.  

Remove rolls from oven.  Spread ¼ of frosting over each pan of rolls.  Allow to cool slightly and repeat.  Serve and enjoy!

HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE FROSTING

This recipe is from my Grandma's Vintage Recipes blog.

Homemade Chocolate Frosting

Yummy recipe I've had for years. Origin??? 

 8 tbsp butter, softened 

3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder 

1 tsp vanilla 

1/4 tsp salt 

2 cups powdered sugar 

1/4 cup milk

Put softened butter into a mixing bowl and add the cocoa powder. Stir the mixture until it is well combined. Add the vanilla and salt and mix in well. Stir in the powdered sugar alternately with the milk. Stir until the frosting is of a creamy consistency. To thin icing add more milk, a drop at a time. To make a thicker icing add another 1 to 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar.

file photo

CREAMY PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING

Thank you, Anna Delong for sharing this recipe with us in 2013.

PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING 

1/3 cup peanut butter 
3 cups powdered sugar 
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla 
1/4 to 1/3 cup milk

In medium bowl, beat peanut butter and powdered sugar with spoon or electric mixer on low speed until blended. Add vanilla and 1/4 cup milk; beat until smooth and spreadable. If necessary, beat in more milk, a few drops at a time

THE LATE VESTAL GOODMAN'S MOLASSES COOKIES

As readers of my blogs may have guessed, I am a big Southern Gospel Music fan.  I have always loved collecting the recipes of the singers, probably because most of them are just everyday country people like I really am.  Vestal used to make these cookies to share with her family at Christmastime.  She and her family enjoyed spending Christmas at her parents' home with extended family years agio

.She has said she loved making these cookies for those times.

1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/4 cups molasses
4 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cloves
1 cup boiling water

Combine the shortening, sugar, egg, and molasses.  Mix well.  Sift together flour, soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.  Stir into the molasses mixture.  Add water, stirring until smooth.  Drop by teaspoonfuls onto lightly greased cookie sheet.  Bake for 8 to 10 minutes at 400 degrees.  After cookies have cooled, ice with the frosting below.

Frosting:
2 cups confectioner's sugar
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp lemon extract
3 tbsp milk

Combine all ingredients together until smooth.

file photo for reference only

FOOLS TOFFEE

When I showed this to my grandson who loves both toffee and saltines, he moaned with pleasure.  We haven't made it yet but plan to this week.  The recipe and photo are from Kim's Krazyness.

Fool's Toffee
(I love this stuff! Its so easy and yummy! I always make it!)

36 saltine crackers
1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 (12 ounce) package chocolate or white chocolate chips
1 cup of your choice of chopped walnuts, peanuts, sprinkles, crushed candy, etc...

Directions:
1 Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and spray with non stick cooking spray.
2 Place the saltines side by side but not over lapping each other.
3 In a sauce pan melt the 1 cup of butter and add the cup of brown sugar bring to a slow boil stirring constantly for about 3 minutes.
4 Immediately pour over the crackers try to coat as evenly as possible.
5 Bake in the oven at 375°F for 5-7 minutes immediately remove from oven and pour the entire bag of chips over the toffee (give them some time to melt) and spread evenly with a spatula. Sprinkle your choice of topping over the candy and press down lightly.
6 Refrigerate till cool then remove and break into pieces and serve!

(Crushed peppermint with white chocolate chips are awesome during Christmas.