"T" is for Ooey Gooey Taffy Tart Squares

These have to be one of the messiest bars I have ever made.  And one of the most delicious.  Even without chocolate, they're pretty irresistible.

We didn't actually get to deliver them to our Alphabet Service Project recipients this week.  Right after Annika and I had made them, I gave our friends a call to set up the time to bring them and was informed they had just been called out of town for a relative's medical situation.  They're not back yet, so I just froze the bars to give to them later.

On to the Taffy Tart Bars.  They truly are Ooey and Gooey, no doubt about it.  A simple shortbread crust, topped with an incredibly rich combination including brown sugar, eggs, butter, and pecans, the flavor reminded me of some wonderful pecan bread my mom got a secret recipe for many years ago, but in a drippier bar form.
As I note in the actual recipe, even though you shouldn't over-bake these.....they're not supposed to be really firm......I think I under-baked them a little too much.  It didn't affect the taste, I'm sure, but I would prefer them a little less messy.

Recipe:  (from Sweetapolita)

Base: 
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 cup unsalted butter

Topping:
6 T. melted butter
6 eggs, lightly beaten
3 c. packed brown sugar
6 T. all-purpose flour
1-1/2 t. baking powder
2 t. vanilla extract
Pinch salt
1-1/2 c. coarsely chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350°.
Butter a 13 x 9" pan and line with parchment paper or foil.  Make sure there is an overhang of paper to allow for removing from pan after baked.

In a medium bowl, combine flour and granulated sugar, cutting in butter with pastry blender until crumbly.  Press into pan and bake for 15 minutes or until very light golden brown on edges.

In a bowl, mix melted butter and eggs.  Blend in brown sugar, flour, baking powder, vanilla, and salt.  Stir in pecans and pour over base.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched.  It should not feel "firm", if you overbake, they won't be "ooey gooey". (Note:  I cooked mine to this stage, and they never firmed up at all, even in the fridge.....they were a bit too messy, although incredibly delicious.  Next time I'll bake a few minutes longer)

Let cool on rack, then cover and refrigerate until very firm.  Using the paper overhang, remove from baking pan and place on cutting board.  Cut into squares.  Keep refrigerated until you need them.  They can also be frozen.

"S" is for Strawberry Streusel Bars

I've been thinking about "S" week for quite awhile, actually.  I had someone in mind to be our recipient but just hadn't mentioned it to her yet.  I even had the chance to say something to her about it earlier in the week when I saw her, but something in me just wanted to wait.  I just wasn't sure. 

I browsed once again through our church directory and a different name seemed to leap off one of the pages to me.  A sweet homeschooling mom of seven kids (oldest of which is nearly as old as me, youngest is nine), precious, quiet, humble lady.  I couldn't believe I hadn't thought of her before.  I called her and explained what we were doing and asked if we could bring her a treat to church last night.  I could hear her delight in her voice.  She almost sounded like she was going to cry at one point.  Tears of happiness.  

Annika and I got right to work making these bars.  They're very easy.  The base is just a lovely sugar cookie dough...baked in a bar form.  I loved the texture of it....and might sometime just make it by itself!  Lots easier than rolling out sugar cookies.  I loved the strawberry layer, simple and fruity.  The topping, I don't know.  Mine did not turn out like Sweet Kat's did....that's for sure.  Her's looked crumbly and beautiful....mine stayed flat and refused to get browned at all until I turned on the broiler for a couple of minutes and nearly burnt it.  

I think I would prefer a streusel topping with oats and brown sugar, a little flour and softened butter.  But maybe that's just me.  Anyways, these did turn out yummy and so simple to make.

When we delivered them to our friend, she said that she had been having a rough day and hearing from me just turned it all around for her.  She was so blessed.  Not to mention glad that her name starts with "S".  

It felt really good to make someone so happy by such a small gesture.....never underestimate the power of giving!

Recipe: (from Sweet Kat's Kitchen)

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1 t. vanilla extract

1 large egg

2 cups all purpose flour

1 (10 oz) jar strawberry preserves (or desired flavor)

Topping:

1 cup flour

1/4 c. sugar

1/4 c. butter, cold

Preheat oven to 350°.

With an electric mixer, cream the butter with the sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy.  Add egg and mix well. Gradually stir in flour until well combined.  

Press the mixture into a buttered 13 x 9" pan.  I found it helped to put a bit of flour on my fingers to press it in; the dough is very sticky.

Put the preserves into a microwave-safe bowl and heat until nearly melted.  Spread over base.

For topping, combine ingredients until crumbly using a pastry blender or two forks.  Sprinkle evenly over preserves.

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until top is golden brown.  Cool on a wire rack. Cut into bars.  Store in an airtight container.  Makes about 24 bars.  

To see the rest of our Alphabet Service Projects, click here! 

"R" is for Raspberry Cheesecake Brownies

We're finally back to our Alphabet Service Projects.  If you've been following along, you may notice that we skipped "Q".  Well, I taught the letter "Q", and we actually do know a little girl from church who's name begins with Q, but I struggled to come up with a recipe that started with "Q" (other than Quiche, but that sounds like a C or a K, which makes it just too confusing for a 3-year old).  Plus I was feeling lazy.  Shame on me.  Maybe we'll come back to it.


Back to the letter R.  We decided to have some friends over for dinner who's last name begins with R, and I made Baked Rotini, Romaine salad with Ranch, Buttered Corn, French Bread Rolls, and these fabulous Raspberry Cheesecake Bars.  Let me just say, the dinner was great, but this dessert was phenomenal.


The slightly tangy raspberries complement the creamy cheesecake and dense chocolaty brownies perfectly.  They're rich, but not so much that you don't want another one.  Like right away.  For my raspberry chocolate loving husband, these were bound to be a new favorite, and they met and exceeded all his expectations.

Update June 2013: Blackberries are equally good in this recipe - I made that version for Father's Day 2013 and Grant couldn't have been happier.  I bet even blueberries would be delicious!


Recipe: (adapted from Cooking for Seven)


1 stick +5 T. (7 oz)  butter, softened
2 cups sugar, divided (I used very scant cups)
5 eggs, room temperature, divided use
7 oz dark chocolate, chopped (I used semi-sweet chocolate chips)
1 cup flour, sifted (I used white whole wheat)

1/4 t. salt
2 t. vanilla extract, divided use
2 (8 oz pkgs) cream cheese, room temperature
5 oz raspberries, fresh or frozen


Directions:

For the brownie batter:

1) Preheat oven to 350° F. Butter a 13” x 9” glass baking dish.

2) Beat the softened butter with 1 cup of sugar until slightly fluffy. Add 3 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

3) Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Let cool slightly. Stir into the butter and sugar mixture. Add the sifted flour, salt, and 1 tsp. vanilla extract and carefully fold it in.

For the cheesecake batter:

4) Put the cream cheese in the bowl of your stand mixer. Add the 2 remaining eggs, 1 cup of sugar, and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Beat until it’s a smooth, creamy mixture.

Putting it all together:

5) Spread 2/3 of the chocolate mix on the bottom of your baking tray. Pour the cream cheese on top and spread it out evenly. Now drop little pieces of chocolate mix on top of the cream cheese. Lightly work it in with a fork—like you’re marbling a cake. Push the raspberries into the cream cheese.

6) Bake at 350°F (175C) for 40 to 45 minutes or until the cake feels set when gently touched in the center. Let the brownies cool off completely, then refrigerate several hours,  preferably overnight, before cutting them in squares.

This post is linked to the Ultimate Recipe Swap: Chocolate. and Finding Joy in My Kitchen

"P" is for Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Aside from eating Pepperoni Pizza, Pancakes, Pretzels, Pickles, Mashed Potatoes, Potato Chips, Chicken Pot Pie and Popcorn this week, we had the pleasure of delivering these Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins to a dear lady from church, Priscilla.  (and there are many "P" foods we didn't get to...what a fun letter!)

I adore Priscilla.  She's a grandmother of 14 and spends much of her time caring for her husband, who isn't well....and she is a faithful worker in our 3-year old nursery at church for two months out of every year.  She's just the sweetest lady....so it was really fun to get to bless her with a treat this week.

We delivered the muffins to her on Pink Paper Plates, and she in turn gave the children Peppermint candy canes.  Such fun!

These muffins are delicious, worth the extra effort and time it takes to make them. The recipe makes a big batch - it said it yielded 24 muffins, but I had enough batter left over to make 24 mini-muffins without the filling.  I even had leftover topping after that! 

Recipe: (adapted from Annie's Eats)
Yield: 24 muffins, plus 24 miniature muffins (without filling)

For the filling:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup confectioners’ sugar

For the muffins:
3 cups all-purpose flour (I used half whole wheat)
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (I was a little short on this, but they still had plenty of flavor)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
4 large eggs
2 cups sugar
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
1/2 cup applesauce
3/4 cup coconut oil (or canola oil)

For the topping:
½ cup sugar
5 tbsp. flour
1½ tsp. ground cinnamon
4 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Directions:
To prepare the filling, combine the cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar in a medium bowl and mix well until blended and smooth.  Transfer the mixture to a piece of plastic wrap and shape into a log about 1½-inches in diameter.  Smooth the plastic wrap tightly around the log, and reinforce with a piece of foil. Transfer to the freezer and chill until at least slightly firm, at least 2 hours.

To make the muffins, preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Line muffin pans with paper liners.  In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, pumpkin pie spice, salt and baking soda; whisk to blend.  In the bowl of an electric mixer combine the eggs, sugar, pumpkin puree, applesauce, and oil.  Mix on medium-low speed until blended.  With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients, mixing just until incorporated.

To make the topping, combine the sugar, flour and cinnamon in a small bowl; whisk to blend.  Add in the butter pieces and cut into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender or two forks until the mixture is coarse and crumbly.

To assemble the muffins, fill each muffin well with a small amount of batter, just enough to cover the bottom of the liner (1-2 tablespoons).  Slice the log of cream cheese filling into 24 equal pieces.  Place a slice of the cream cheese mixture into each muffin well.  Divide the remaining batter among the muffin cups, placing on top of the cream cheese to cover completely.  Sprinkle a small amount of the topping mixture over each of the muffin wells.

Bake for 20-25 minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before serving. That cream cheese filling gets hot!

To see the rest of our Alphabet Service Projects, click here!

Linked to Finding Joy in My Kitchen

"O" is for Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

We're back to our Alphabet Service Projects and last week was "O". We made Oatmeal Raisin Cookies for a friend of Corban's named Oliver.  We delivered them to him on Wednesday night in his Royal Rangers Class, and I wish I had a picture of the smile on his face. He was so pleased and proud to be the recipient of a plate of cookies from a little sister of his buddy.  Annika was quite delighted with it herself and has been talking about Oliver the rest of the week.  She wants to have him over to play.  :)  

I usually don't make Oatmeal Cookies, as Grant much prefers Chocolate Chip Cookies - and these were a delightful change from the ordinary.  Even Grant declared they were the best Oatmeal cookies he had ever eaten.  I have to agree.  They're chewy and have just the right amount of spices for flavor.

Recipe: (from Annie's Eats)

1 cup butter, softened
1-½ cups light brown sugar, packed

½ cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1-¾ cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

1-½ tsp. cinnamon

¼ tsp. nutmeg

3 cups rolled oats

1 cup raisins

1 cup walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 375°.

In a large bowl beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs and vanilla with a hand held mixer until well blended. In a medium bowl combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture, stirring until just combined.

Fold in rolled oats, raisin and walnuts (if desired). Drop dough by rounded teaspoons about 2 inches apart onto a cookie sheet.

Bake for 8-10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool 2 minutes and remove to wire rack to cool completely.

To see the rest of our Alphabet Service Projects, click here!  

"N" is for Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies

For our Alphabet Service Project this week featuring the letter "N", the kids thought it was a no-brainer that we'd make something for one of Marissa's best friends, Natalee, and her dad Nathan. 

Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies were just the thing. 

If you have never tried Nutella, get thee out to a grocery store and head straight to the peanut butter section, where you'll find these jars of chocolate hazelnut spread.  Buy one.  Or two.  Better yet, go to Sam's Club and get a 3-pack for the same price as you'd pay for 2 jars at Wal-Mart.  It's just irresistible.  

I like it on pretzels, bread, or just straight from the jar.  But as I've recently discovered, it's wonderful to bake with.....and there are plenty of recipes including it out there.  

Nutella takes regular chocolate chip cookies up a notch, with additional but not too strong chocolate flavor and a hint of nuttiness.  They're chewy perfection - not cakey, not dense, not crumbly, just pure deliciousness.  

Recipe: (from Cupcake Muffin)

1 stick butter, softened
1 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1/4 c. Nutella
2 eggs
1-1/2 t. vanilla
2-1/3 c. flour (all purpose)
1 t. baking soda
3/4 t. salt
1-1/2 c. chocolate chips (I used semi-sweet)

Preheat oven to 375°. Line baking sheets with parchment paper if desired (I did).
In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugars until fluffy.  Add Nutella and mix well.  Add eggs one at a time, stirring to combine each.  Add vanilla.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt.  Add to creamed mixture and stir until well mixed.  Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop by tablespoonfuls on prepared cookie sheets.  Bake for 8-10 minutes (8 was perfect for me), then cool on a wire rack.

To see the rest of our Alphabet Service Projects, click here. 

"M" is for Mississippi Mud Brownies

Our pastor and his wife are named Mark and Mary, which made them an easy choice as the recipients of our Letter M project, Mississippi Mud Brownies. 

Definitely not something to make for the calorie-counter, these are pretty easy to whip together and are a very special treat.  Other variations are called Mississippi Mud Cake, but the texture is definitely more brownie-like, so I'm sticking with the brownie label.  They're definitely rich and you only need a small piece, although my children said they could just keep eating them all day long. 

When I gave them a sample at lunch and they all gushed, "It's better than an A+, Mom!"

Generous on the grading scale, aren't they! 

Marissa even went to far as to say it's her favorite dessert ever.  Of course, I take that with a grain of salt, since she's been prone to say that about whatever dessert she's eating at the time, but I have a feeling this one really is up there on the charts.

I suspect the man of the house won't be a fan, with the marshmallows and all, which still doesn't make sense to me, because he freely admitted to eating nearly a whole package of marshmallows on his camping trip with Corban last weekend.  Anyways.

Update: He DID love them....surprise surprise!  I think he was even shocked himself at how much he liked them.  

I reduced the sugar called for in the original recipe both in the cake layer and the frosting and it is still plenty sweet.  My changed are reflected below.

Recipe (modified from Allrecipes) 

2 sticks (1 cup) butter

1/3 c. unsweetened cocoa

1-1/2 c. granulated sugar

4 eggs

2 t. vanilla

1-1/2 c. flour

1/4 t. salt

1 c. chopped pecans (optional - I think they would be fabulous, but my family would revolt)

2-3 cups miniature marshmallows (enough to cover the top)

Frosting:

1 stick (1/2 c.) butter

1/3 c. unsweetened cocoa

2-3/4 c. powdered sugar

1/3 c. milk

Preheat oven to 350°.

Grease a 13 x 9" pan.

In a large saucepan, melt butter.  Remove from heat and sift in cocoa, stirring until smooth.  Add sugar and stir well.  Add eggs and vanilla, mix to combine, then add flour and salt, stirring just until incorporated.   

Pour batter into prepared pan.  Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Do NOT overbake!

Immediately upon removing from oven, top with marshmallows.  Return to oven for 2-3 minutes, or until marshmallows are soft.  Do NOT brown!!  That will make them chewy and tough and difficult to cut. Not good. 

When marshmallows are soft, remove from oven and make frosting.

In a medium saucepan, melt butter.  Add cocoa (sifted, of course) and then powdered sugar and milk.  Stir until smooth and creamy.  Add more milk a teaspoon at a time if necessary for consistency.

Drizzle frosting over marshmallows and smooth to cover completely. 

Allow to cool before cutting.

To see the rest of our Alphabet Service Projects, click here.

Linked to 4 Moms Share Favorite Desserts

"L" is for Lemon Snowballs

This is a very soft refeshing cookie bursting with Lemon flavor.  The kids and I Like them a lot, although Grant isn't a big Lemon fan and chose to abstain from even trying one.

I'm not afraid to whip out the jarred lemon juice for many recipes, but since I bought lemons to zest anyways, I went ahead and juiced them.  I did have to add a little of the jarred lemon juice to make enough.

The girls and I had a Lovely time delivering them to a friend, Lisa, and she was so gracious and sweet to us, showing the girls around her home, telling them about her family, and using L words whenever she could.  I think she was also grateful that we didn't choose to bring her Liver, Lettuce, or Lollypops, although Corban insisted the Liver would be hysterical.  Hahaha.  That's a boy for you. 

Recipe: (from Allrecipes)

1/2 cup butter, softened
2/3 c. sugar
1 egg
1/4 c. lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon (~ 1 T.)
1-3/4 c. all purpose flour
1/4 t. baking soda
1/4 t. cream of tartar
1/4 t. salt
1/2 c. finely chopped almonds (optional)
powdered sugar

In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add egg and blend well.  Stir in lemon juice and zest.  Mixture will appear lumpy and weird - don't panic!
In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt.  Add to wet mixture and stir well.  Add almonds if desired.  Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour, up to overnight.

Preheat oven to 350°.
Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place on ungreased baking sheets.
Bake for 9-10 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned (tops will not brown).  Remove from baking sheet immediately and put on wire racks.  After a couple of minutes, roll in powdered sugar.

To see the rest of our Alphabet Service Projects, click here. 

"K" is for Kiss Cookies (aka Peanut Butter Blossoms)

A classic recipe with a slight re-work of the name to make it work for K week!   We thought Hershey's Kiss cookies would be more appealing than Kale or Ketchup.  There is always Kiwi, but you never know if the ones you pick will be sweet and juicy or downright sour.   

I used the recipe off the back of the Kiss package, substituting butter for the shortening.  They're a little crumbly, but oh so delicious.  I love how the kisses look firm, but when you bite into them they're soft and creamy and a perfect complement to the peanut butter cookie.  

Recipe (adapted from the Hershey's Kiss bag)

1/2 c. (1 stick) butter, softened

3/4 c. creamy peanut butter

1/3 c. packed brown sugar

1/3 c. white sugar

1 egg

2 T. milk

1 t. vanilla

1-1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

Granulated sugar, for rolling

48 Hershey's Kisses, unwrapped

Preheat oven to 375°.

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and peanut butter together. Add sugars and beat until light and fluffy.  

Add in egg, milk and vanilla and combine well.

In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, and salt.  Add to creamed mixture and beat until thoroughly combined. 

Roll dough into 1-inch balls, roll in sugar, and place on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until lightly browned. 

Immediately upon removing from oven, place an unwrapped Kiss in the center of each cookie and press gently.  

Remove from cookie sheet to a wire rack. Cool completely.  Or eat while warm.  I won't tell.  

To see the rest of our Alphabet Service Projects, click here.

"J" is for Jar of Jellybeans

We know a family in which both parents and all four children have names beginning with "J", so it just seemed  fitting that they would be the recipients of our service project this week.

We tossed around the ideas of giving them Jam and Juice, but ended up deciding that a Jar of Jellybeans would be a fun gift.  Not to mention easy....no baking required!
Although Annika had a bit of a hard time with the thought of parting with the Jellybeans prior to our visit, we had a delightful time playing and delivering the treat.  

To see the rest of our Alphabet Service Projects, click here!

"I" is for Ice Cream Sandwiches

(Sorry this post is late - I've been crazy busy the past few days and didn't get around to finishing it)

Ice cream seemed an obvious choice for our "I" week last week.....but we decided to take it a step further and make Ice-cream sandwiches instead. Yum!  Our recipient of the week was one of Corban's best friends, Isaiah. (and we gave some to the rest of his family, too.....cause we're nice like that). 

I considered going with chocolate chip cookies or even something a little more unique, like snickerdoodle cookies with cinnamon ice cream, but eventually settled on a simple chocolate cookie with (gasp!) storebought ice cream to imitate the treats my kids love from a box...in a slightly healthier version. 

I just used a round biscuit cutter for my cookies - but you could use any shape of cookie cutter you want.  I did find that several of the sandwiches did leak ice-cream a bit while freezing back up, so they pretty much ended up a huge mess....but certainly an edible mess that we didn't mind a bit. 

Recipe: (from Annie's Eats) - makes 10-12 sandwiches, depending on how big you cut them

4 T. unsalted butter, room temp.

1/4 cup canola oil

1 cup light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 t. vanilla extract

1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 t. baking powder

1/4 t. salt

1 half-gallon vanilla ice-cream (or your desired flavor)

In a mixer, combine the butter, oil, and brown sugar.  Beat on medium speed until combined. Blend in the eggs one at a time, and the vanilla extract until smooth.  In a separate bowl, sift the cocoa powder and combine with the flour, baking powder, and salt; whisk to blend.  With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients and mix just until incorporated and a soft dough forms.

Gather the dough into a disc, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 1 hour.  Dough will still be soft!

Line a 13 x 9" pan with plastic wrap.  Allow ice-cream to soften until somewhat spreadable - spread evenly in the lined pan.  (harder than it sounds).  Return pan to freezer until cookies are ready to assemble into sandwiches.

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough to about 1/4-inch thick.  Use a cookie cutter to cut out as many pieces as you can, transferring the cut outs to the prepared baking sheet.  Gather and re-roll the dough scraps as needed.  If desired, use a wooden skewer to make a dotted pattern on the cookies.  Bake 8-10 minutes (8 was perfect for me).  Let cool on the baking sheet a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Remove ice cream from freezer.  Use the plastic wrap to pull the ice cream out of the pan.  Use the same cookie cutter to cut pieces of ice cream to put between two cookies. Return sandwiches to freezer immediately.  Some of the ice cream will not be perfectly shaped because you'll have to use leftover scraps.  Just smush them together and make it work! :) 

Wrap the sandwiches individually as desired.  Keep frozen until ready to serve.

Annika with Isaiah

To see the rest of our Alphabet Service Projects, click here.

"H" is for Hot Fudge Sundaes, among other things

For our Alphabet Service Project this week, we decided to do something a little different and have over a friend who's name begins with H.  Annika has a sweet little friend from church named Hannah, so we asked her and her mom and brother over for lunch and a playdate.

The girls played Hungry Hippos and Hi Ho Cheery-O, wore Hats, colored Horses, and we ate grilled Ham and cheese sandwiches, fruit salad with Honeydew, and indulged in Hot Fudge Sundaes (for which Annika and I made this chocolate syrup) for dessert.  

  

The rest of the week, we also ate Hot dogs, Hamburgers and Hashbrown casserole, gave lots of Hugs, and played Hopscotch.   And after all that, Annika is still calling the letter H "G"instead.  Guess we'd better keep working on it.    

"G" is for Gorp

Our Letter of the Week Service Projects continue.  "G" presented a bit of challenge, as I had no desire to take Garlic, Green beans, Guacamole, or Grapes to anyone....although I did entertain the idea of Granola Bars.   Grant suggested my popular recipe of White Chocolate Gorp, and I was sold.

(For the record, Gorp stands for "Good Old Raisins and Peanuts"....although obviously mine contains much more than that).

It's delicious, easy, and kids love to help make it and eat it.  We bagged it up, stuck on some Green bows, and delivered it to a lovely middle-aged couple from our church, the G______s.   It was pouring rain and not really the weather anyone would want to go out in, but we had fun visiting with them and spending a few moments getting to know some familiar faces from church on a more personal level.

If you haven't had a chance to make this Gorp recipe, you really have to try it.  It's irresistible.

"F" is for Fantastic Fudge

We're back to school this week after a two week break for my family visiting....so we're also back to our Letter of the Week Service Projects.  

When I first started thinking about the letter F, all I could think of was Fish.  Or Falafel.  Frog legs?  None of which were viable options for taking to friends.  Then someone suggested Fudge, and I never looked back. 

Growing up, I remember only having fudge at Christmas time.  My grandma would make it in early-mid December, along with peanut brittle, divinity, and buck-eyes, and we would spend the holiday season gorging on such delicacies every time we visited her house, which was often since she and Granddad only lived 20 minutes away.  

Anyways.  It did feel a little strange to be making fudge in September, of all times.  But a little diversion from the tradition isn't a bad thing, I've decided.  Maybe I should spread out the holiday indulgences so we can get fat all year round appreciate them more individually.  

I don't have my grandma's recipe for fudge, I'll have to get that from my mom sometime.  This one is a bit different, but delicious just the same.  It's the basic recipe from Kraft Marshmallow Creme, so I'm told.  I didn't actually buy the Kraft stuff.....and apparently the recipe on the jar has changed recently and has people all in an uproar about it.  (Does spelling Cream "Creme" make it fancier somehow?)

We took the Fantastic Fudge to the F_____s, a wonderful older couple from our church who were so delighted to be visited by our family and touched that we thought of them.  Marissa (4.5) took the time today to draw them pictures of Flowers and Flags (fortunately two of her favorite things to draw anyways), which also tickled them.  

I saved the rest and froze it.....to stop myself from nibbling on it every time I enter my kitchen and consuming at least 1.5 lbs of fudge singlehandedly.  My hips do not need that.  

Recipe:

3 cups sugar
1-1/2 sticks butter (3/4 c.)
5 oz evaporated milk
12 oz (2 cups) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 (7 oz) jar marshmallow cream
1 t. vanilla
Chopped nuts, optional

Begin by preparing your pan.  Line a 11 x 7" (or 13 x 9" for thinner fudge) pan with foil, overlapping the ends, and butter the bottom. Set aside.
In a heavy saucepan, combine sugar, butter, and milk.  Bring to a rolling boil, stirring often.  Boil for 5 minutes, continuing to stir.  Remove from heat.  Add chocolate chips and stir until melted.  Add marshmallow cream and vanilla and stir until smooth.  Add nuts if desired.
Pour into prepared pan and chill until cooled.  (I sprinkled nuts on top of one half while still warm and pressed in lightly)
Once set, use foil to remove fudge from pan.  Cut into squares.  Can be stored at room temperature for very soft fudge or in the fridge for firmer fudge.

"E" is for Elephant Ears

We tried a new recipe this week, making Elephant Ears for my friend Ellen, her daughters Elizabeth and Esther, and Everyone Else in their family.  

Anyone else never heard of Elephant Ears?

Basically, it's a flaky dough rolled up and sliced like a cinnamon roll and then flattened into circles and baked like cookies.  So it's a cinnamon roll cookie.  Sort of.  

Anyways.  Apparently these are treats found at county fairs....(I think it's been about 20 years since I went to a fair, so I cannot confirm that) but often times they're deep fried. I wanted to avoid that......so this recipe fit the bill.  I found it on my good old standby, Allrecipes.  

I did make some changes, because things were NOT working according to the original directions.  For example, if you don't knead enough flour into the dough before rolling it out, it will be too sticky to do anything.  Also, parchment paper is your friend for baking these.....and don't forget it!  

Be sure to plan ahead because the dough has to chill for a couple of hours.  

The result: my kids LOVED them and are begging me to make more.  I thought they were really good too, despite the mess I made in the kitchen.  It's fun to try new things.  I did double this recipe to make enough for both families.

Recipe: (yield - 14 to 18 rolls)

1 (.25 oz) package active dry yeast (or 2-1/4 t. bulk yeast)

1/4 cup warm water

1/2 t. sugar

1/2 cup warm milk

1 egg yolk

2 cups all-purpose flour (or whole wheat)

1-1/2 T. sugar

1/2 t. salt

1/2 cup butter, cold

2 T. butter, softened

2 cups sugar, divided

3-1/2 t. cinnamon, divided

4 T. melted butter (optional)

1/4 c. chopped nuts (optional)

Dissolve yeast in water with 1/2 t. sugar.  Combine with milk and egg yolk and set aside. 

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, 1-1/2 T. sugar, and salt.  Cut in butter until pea-sized or smaller.  Add the yeast mixture and stir well.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.  

Preheat oven to 400°.

Turn dough out onto a heavily floured surface - (read at least 1/2 cup, maybe more of flour).

Knead lightly, then roll out into a rectangle 10"x18". 

Spread with softened butter.  

Combine 1/2 c. sugar and 2 t. cinnamon and sprinkle over the dough.

Roll up like a jelly roll, sealing the edge.  The roll should be 18" long. Cut into 1 to 1-1/2 inch slices.

Combine remaining sugar and cinnamon.  Pour some onto your pastry board.  Take one slice of dough at a time, flatten into a large circle on top of the cinnamon sugar, and sprinkle with nuts if using.  

Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper (seriously, don't skip this....you'll be sorry if you do). 

Brush with melted butter (if desired) and sprinkle with more cinnamon sugar.

Bake for 10-12 minutes (10 was perfect in my oven).

Cool on wire racks. 

Sorry if these seems confusing....I kind of had to wing a few things as I went so writing it down can be a little hard to explain.  Just ask me if you have any questions!