Witches Fingers

Halloween is just around the corner and why not do some festive baking. I have been making this recipe since i was a little kid  and its awesome, quick and easy.

Yield:about 28-30 cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup icing sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup of mike and ike candies
1 tube of green or red decorating gel

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease two baking sheets.

In a large bowl, beat together butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla; beat in flour, baking powder and salt. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Working with one quarter of the dough at a time and keeping remaining dough refrigerated, roll heaping teaspoonful of dough into finger shape for each cookie.

Press candies firmly into one of the ends for nail and remove to make a nail bed indent. Squeeze in center to create knuckle shape; using paring knife, make slashes in several places to form knuckle.

Place on lightly greased baking sheets; bake in oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until pale golden. Let cool for 3 minutes.  squeeze decorator gel onto nail bed and press the candies into place, so gel oozes out from underneath. Remove from baking sheets; let cool on racks. Repeat with remaining dough.

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Chocolate Chip Rice Krispies Treats

This recipe is one that you could never go wrong with and it's perfect for  any occasion. Everyone loves rice krispies squares, but they are even better with a little chocolate.

Ingredients
3 tablespoons of butter
10 oz regular marshmallows
6 cups rice krispies
1 cup of chocolate chips

Directions

1. In a large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.
2. Add Rice Krispies cereal. Stir until well coated.
3. Add the chocolate chips, making sure they are proportioned evenly.
4. Using buttered spatula or wax paper evenly press mixture into a 13x9 inch pan coated with cooking spray. Cool. Cut into 2 inch squares.Best if served the same day.

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Black Forest Cheese Cake

Well the oven is still not working, so I am continuing with my no bake series of recipes. I'm not a huge cheesecake fan, BUT I think this recipe may prove me wrong. It's not too sweet, it's creamy and delicious and to top it off it was super easy!    

Ingredients 

1  cup finely ground chocolate charaham crackers

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

3 tablespoons of butter 

3 tablespoons white sugar

8 ounces cream chesse

1/3 cup white sugar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped

 cherry pie filling

Directions

1. In a bowl, mix together crushed pecans and graham crackers with melted butter and the 3 tablespoons sugar.
2. Press into a 7 inch springform pan (I used a 9 inch and increased my crackers bu 1/4 cup ). Place in refrigerator until ready for use.
3. In another bowl, beat cream cheese, 1/3 cup of sugar and lemon juice.
4. Whip cream, and fold into cream cheese mixture.
5. Spread the cream mixture into pan.
6. Freeze for 1 hour, covered with foil.
7. Place in refrigerator 30 minutes before serving and topping with the cherry filling.

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Chocolate Oreo Tart

So I had a bit of a baking obstacle this past week. Baking with no oven?? Our oven broke down and it's going to be a couple weeks before it's working again. What's a baker to do? Well find no bake recipes of course and this recipe is fantastic! I made some for thanksgiving weekend and all my friends and family loved them. It's even better after a few days in the fridge.

Yield: 12

Ingredients

Oreo crust:
300 g (10 oz) Oreo cookies
1/2 cup butter


Chocolate Cream filling:
4/5 cup heavy cream
7 oz dark chocolate
1/4 cup butter


To decorate:
about 4 or 5 chopped Oreo cookies
chocolate chips

Directions:

1. To make the crust, using a food processor, blend Oreo cookies until the texture of coarse meal or crumbs. Add the melted butter and blend until well combine. Line the bottom and two side of your pan with parchment paper. Place the mixture into a 4×14 fluted rectangular tart pan (I used a 9 x 9 stone pan and it stilled turned out great! I think you could really used any type of pan you like for this recipe.) and press onto the bottom and up the sides evenly. Freeze the crust while preparing the chocolate filling
2. In a medium saucepan, bring cream to the boil. Remove from heat, add chopped chocolate and butter, and let rest for 5 minutes. Then stir until dissolved. Pour chocolate filling over Oreo crust, and decorate with some chopped or whole Oreo cookies and chocolate chips
3. Chill for 2 hours at least, preferably overnight. Pull out of the pan, cut into squares and serve.

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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Blondies

These blondies taste even better the day after they're baked!

YIELD: 24 blondies

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, melted
1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips 

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with foil or parchment paper, leaving an overhang.

In a large bowl combine the flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and salt.

In another medium bowl whisk together the butter, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, and pumpkin.

Add the butter mixture to the flour mixture, stirring until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for 35 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Be careful not to overbake. Set the pan on a wire rack to cool completely before cutting into squares. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

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Yorkshire Pudding

Yorkshire pudding is a family favorite and a must have as part of our roast beef dinners. If want to completely top off this recipe add some gravy drizzled over the top of the Yorkshires.

Ingredients:

 1 cup flour

• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup water
• melted butter or oil

Directions:

In a blender mix flour, salt, milk, eggs and water. Blend well and leave at room temperature for 1 hour. Every time you walk by give it a whirl. When roast is done, remove from oven and cover with foil to keep warm. Preheat oven to 400 F . Pour 1 tbsp. beef drippings, melted butter or oil into 8 medium muffin tins. Place in oven until bubbling hot. Remove from oven and pour batter into hot butter. Bake at 400 F for 20 minutes and then at 350 F for 10 minutes longer. Yorkshire pudding will puff up and be hollow inside.

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Caramel-Glazed Apple Bread

Fall is the time for apple harvest so what better time to bake an Apple Caramel Loaf then in October. This recipe works great for that last minute treat to whip up when someone is dropping by for an afternoon visit. The ingredients are almost always available in my kitchen so it become a regular go to for me.

Ingredients 

Bread:

1 1/2 cups shredded peeled baking apples (2 large)

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup buttermilk (or sour milk 1/2 cup milk and 1 tsp lemon juice)

1/2 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs, lightly beaten

3 cups AP flour

1/2 cup chopped pecans

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Glaze:

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon milk

1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted

Directions:

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottoms only of 2 (8×4-inch) loaf pans with cooking spray or shortening.

In large bowl, stir together apples, 1 cup brown sugar, the buttermilk, oil and eggs. Stir in remaining bread ingredients just until dry ingredients are moistened. Pour into pans.

Bake 45 to 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. If you are using a stone pan i recommend adding 15 minutes on to the bake time.Cool 10 minutes on cooling rack. Loosen sides of loaves from pans; remove from pans and place top sides up on cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

In 1-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in 1/4 cup brown sugar. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly; reduce heat to low. Boil and stir 2 minutes. Stir in milk. Heat to boiling; remove from heat. Cool to lukewarm, about 30 minutes.

Gradually stir powdered sugar into glaze mixture. Place saucepan of glaze in bowl of cold water. Beat with spoon until smooth and thin enough to drizzle. If glaze becomes too stiff, stir in additional milk, 1/2 teaspoon at a time, or heat over low heat, stirring constantly. Drizzle glaze over loaves. Wrap tightly and store at room temperature up to 4 days, or refrigerate up to 10 days.

Share and enjoy :)