Honey Comb Candy

 

I got really into candy making a few months back. Out of all the recipes I tried, my favorite recipe to make was honey comb. Its looks really impressive but it is super simple to make. You can make it plain or dip it into melted chocolate. I have also added chopped nuts to create a honey comb nut brittle (although if you add nuts you do deflate the honey comb a bit). Anyway you make it, it is a real crowd pleaser. At least my work friends think so. I found this particular recipe while searching through Pinterest. The only addition I made was a pinch of salt. You can find the recipe here. 

Ingredients: 

1 Cup White Granulated Sugar 

1/4 Cup Light Corn Syrup 

2 Tablespoon Honey 

1/2 Cup Water 

2 Teaspoon Baking Soda 

Pinch of coarse salt (optional)

Preparation: Line and 8x8 inch baking pan with parchment paper In a large pot on the stove top, over medium-high heat, add the sugar in an even layer to the bottom of the pan. Pour the corn syrup and honey over the sugar and then pour the water to moisten all the sugar. Do not Stir! Cook mixture until the temperature reaches 300-degrees Fahrenheit on a candy thermometer. Remove the pot from the stove and whisk in the baking soda for a few seconds, until mixture stops foaming up. Pour mixture immediately into prepared pan. Let honeycomb set for at least an hour, or until completely hardened, before breaking into pieces (I used my hands). Option: Coat honeycomb candy in chocolate. Store candy in an airtight container. Candy stays fresh and crunchy for 3-4 days.

Chip and Pretzel Cookies

 

This cookie recipe is from our Mom.  She makes it for all the grandkids.  My kids love this recipe and Mom recently sent the recipe to my 11 year old son who loves to bake.  

The texture is crunchy and sandy with a nice salty crunch from the chips and pretzels.  

So yummy!

Ingredients:

1 cup softened butter salted

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 egg yolk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup coarsely crushed potato chips

3/4 cup coarsely crushed pretzels

Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips, melted (for dipping) You can also use white chocolate if preferred.

A little kosher salt or sea salt for sprinkling over the melted chocolate.

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Cover sheet pan with parchment paper.  Combine softened butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl and beat with a hand mixer until light and fluffy.  Add egg yolk and vanilla and beat until incorporated.  Gradually add flour and mix well.  Stir in crushed chips and pretzels and mix until fully combined.

Shape cookies into oval logs and flatten slightly.  Bake for 14-18 minutes until lightly browned.  Cool completely in baking sheet.  Dip one end of cooled cookie into melted chocolate and place onto parchment paper.  Sprinkle a little coarse salt onto the melted chocolate if desired.   Leave cookies out at room temperature or place in refrigerator to harden the chocolate.

Fruit Dip

Strawberry Recipe #4 

(well not really a strawberry recipe but delicious with strawberries)

This is the simplest but and most delicious fruit dip!  It goes amazing with any kind of fruit.  I especially like this dip with cut up apples.  But of course amazing with Strawberries too!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup cream cheese ( any kind, whipped, lite etc)

1/3 cup plain greek yogurt

1/3 cup brown sugar

Preparation:

In a medium bowl combine all ingredients and blend well with a hand mixer.  I like to use my whisk attachment on my hand beater to whip it up nice and light and fluffy.  Pour into a bowl and enjoy immediately or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Homemade Cinnamon Syrup

I wanted to make pancakes after both of my girls had sleepovers and we were out of maple syrup.  So I made my own!  Wow this was easy and soooo much better than the bottled syrup from the grocery store.  I loved the added cinnamon which made everything taste so warm and homey.  Super easy and I'm sure you have all of the ingredients on hand at home to whip up a batch of your own.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup water
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of salt
2 tablespoons butter

Preparation:

In a microwavable dish add all ingredients except for butter.  Microwave at high for 1 minute.  Remove, stir and microwave a second time for 1 minute.  Remove from microwave, stir in butter until melted, cool and serve over your favorite pancakes, waffles or french toast!  Pour left overs in an air tight container and store in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Strawberry Crumb Bars

This recipe is just as delicious as it is easy!  I made this for Father's Day and everyone LOVED it!  It's the perfect summertime dessert!  It uses only fresh strawberries for the filling but when it bakes the strawberries bake into a jam consistency making this dessert sweet and gooey and perfect!  You can definitely substitute other berries such as blueberries, raspberries or blackberries if you prefer.  I'm exited to make this again maybe next time trying mixed berries, YUM!

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 cups flour

1 cup cold butter

1 egg, beaten

4 cups fresh strawberries, chopped

1/2 cup sugar

4 teaspoons corn starch

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375 F.   Line a 9x14 baking dish with parchment paper (this make for easy removal and quick clean up) . In a large bowl whisk together sugar, baking powder, salt and flour.  Cut cold butter into the flour mixture using 2 knives until pieces are pea sized.  Stir in the egg to form a chunky dough.  Pat down half of the dough mixture into the baking dish and reserve the other half as a topping for your crumb bars.  In another bowl combine the chopped strawberries, sugar and cornstarch and then spread the strawberry mixture on top of the dough in the pan.  Crumble the remaining mixture of the top of the strawberry layer evenly.  Bake 45-55 minutes util slightly browned.  Let cool completely before cutting and serving.

Raspberry- Blackberry Crisp

 My son Jack loves when I make apple or berry anything. This past weekend he requested a raspberry-blackberry crisp. He even went to the grocery store to pick out the fresh berries himself. $20 later (he's not much of a bargain hunter) I was making him dessert. I'm not a fan of using oats in my crisps, so this recipe is a simple flour, butter, sugar topping. The filling is the perfect amount of sweet and tangy and the fresh berries are so much more flavorful than using the frozen kind. 

Ingredients:

Filling: 
3 C. Raspberries
2 C. Blackberries
1/3 C. Sugar
1/4 C. Flour
1 T. Cornstarch
1 T. Lemon Juice

Crisp Topping: 
1 C. Flour
1/2 C. Brown Sugar
1/2 T. Cinnamon
1/4 tsp. Salt
1 Stick of Butter, softened

Preparation: 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toss berries with sugar, flour, cornstarch and lemon juice. Place mixture in a greased 9x9 baking dish. Make the crisp topping next by cutting softened butter into the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. I like to use my hands to combine the crumb topping ingredients. Combine until mixture is moist and crumbly. Place crumb topping on top of fruit mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. let cool for 20 minutes before serving.

WHAT’S FOR SUNDAY BRUNCH? Raspberry Stuffed French Toast w/ Frosted Cereal Crust

I made this as a trial recipe yesterday thinking I would have to tweak it a few times. My husband ate my trial in about 1 minute and left nothing over.  I guess no tweaking needed.  Super delicious!  Sweet, tart, creamy and crunchy all in one bite!  This recipe is a little time consuming but really yummy for a special breakfast treat!  I hope you’ll give it a try. 

Ingredients:

2 Eggs

1/2 Cup Milk

Frosted Cereal, crushed

Sliced Bread (any type)

1/2 Cup Frozen Raspberries, thawed and mashed (plus a few whole for garnish)

1/2 Cup Cream Cheese

1/4 Cup Powdered Sugar (plus extra for dusting)

3-4 Tablespoons Butter for frying

Preparation:

In a flat. shallow bowl whisk eggs and milk, set aside.  Place Frosted Cereal in a Ziplock bag, seal and crush using a rolling pin.  Pour crushed cereal into another flat, shallow bowl, set aside.

Combine mashed raspberries, cream cheese and powdered sugar.  Mix until fully incorporated.

Spread raspberry mixture on one slice of bread and top with second slice of bread.  Take "sandwich" and soak in egg mixture, turning to get both sides wet.  Then place in crush cereal to coat completely.  Flip and coat 2nd side in crushed cereal.

In a large frying pan over medium heat melt 1-2 tablespoons of butter.  Add stuffed french toast and fry for about 2 minutes making sure to brown but not burn your french toast.  This will go very quickly and the frosted cereal can burn easily so do not walk away.  Once browned on one side, add a little more butter and flip to brown 2nd side of bread.

Transfer to plate, sprinkle with a few whole raspberries and a dusting of powered sugar and serve immediately.

Sweet, Salty and Spicy Honey Comb Snack Mix

What to do with a bunch of half eaten boxes of cereal, bags of pretzels and dried fruit/nuts that no one is eating??? Easy solution for me....make a snack mix.... 

Ingredients:

1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup salted butter
1/4 cup light corn syrup or agave
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 T. Soy Sauce
2 T. Worcestershire Sauce
1 T. Saracha
1 T. Garlic Powder
1/2 T. Dried Rosemary
1/2 T. Black Pepper
1 tsp. Cayenne pepper
4 C. Honeycomb Cereal
3 C. Cheerios Cereal
3 C. Pretzels (slightly broken)
1 C. Mixed Nuts
1 C. Dried Cranberries
1 C. Banana Chips

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Place the oil, butter, corn syrup, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, Saracha, and sugar in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat until the butter melts and sugar dissolves. In small dish combine garlic powder, dried rosemary, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.
3. Pour the cereals, pretzels, nuts cranberries and banana chips in large mixing bowl. Drizzle 1/2 of the syrup over the cereal mix and mix well. Sprinkle 1/2 of the spice mix over the mix. Continue adding syrup and spice mix and mixing until all ingredients have been added and the cereal mix is evenly coated.
4. Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Let cool. Transfer into an air tight container.