Tasha's Crazy Crunch AKA CRACK

Tasha's Crazy Crunch AKA Crack 1 ½ cup sugar ½ cup light karo syrup 2 sticks magarine... 1 tsp vanilla¾ tsp salt mix all above and boil (on candy thermo notch before 250 degrees… or soft ball?? – my mom’s terminology…) I usually bring to a boil for 3-5 mins… mix the following:12 cups cereal (chex, golden grahams, honey comb and any others you want…)1 cup pretzel sticks1 cup peanuts/pecans (if don’t use nuts – then add another ¾ cup of cereal or pretzel sticks) mix sugar mix w/cereal mix and bake on greased cookie sheet for 1 hour at 250 degrees – stirring every 15 mins… place on greased foil to cool and “crisp”

Caramel Corn

Another favorite in my family.  The holidays wouldn't be the same without a few batches of this being made!

6 quarts popped popcorn
1 cup butter
2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup, light or dark
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 250°. Oil or spray a large roasting pan with vegetable cooking spray, regular or butter-flavored. Pour popcorn into the pan. In a heavy pan, slowly melt butter; stir in the brown syrup, corn syrup, and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil without stirring for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the baking soda and vanilla. Gradually pour the syrup over popcorn, stirring to blend well. Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 10 minutes. Remove from oven; let cool completely and beak apart.

Hint:  I bought one of these microwave poppers earlier this year and I absolutely LOVE it.  A bag of popcorn costs 1.69 on sale, and I have lost count of the number of bowls of popcorn I get out of one bag. Probably around 25.  How much would 25 bags of Microwave popcorn cost?  Plus, the bonus of no chemicals!


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Full Sheet Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

    8 eggs

    2-1/4 cups buttermilk

    2-1/4 cups vegetable oil

    4-1/2 cups white sugar

    2 tablespoons vanilla extract

    2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

    3/4 teaspoon salt

    6 cups all-purpose flour

    2 tablespoons baking soda

    6 cups shredded carrots

    3 cups flaked coconut

    2 1/2  cups chopped pecans (optional)

    1 20 oz cans crushed pineapple with juice

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8x12 inch pan.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine eggs, buttermilk, oil, sugar and vanilla. Mix well. Add flour mixture and mix well.
4. In a medium bowl, combine shredded carrots, coconut, pecans, pineapple.
5. Using a large wooden spoon or a very heavy whisk, add carrot mixture to batter and fold in well.
6. Pour into prepared full sheet pan, and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 1 -1 1/2 hour. Check with toothpick.
7. Allow to cool overnight.
8. The next day,  Ice and decorate cake, allow to sit overnight, serve on the 3rd day.  Taste is SO much better.

My Pumpkin Pie Recipe

Adapted from Libby's Famous pumpkin pie recipe (makes two 9 inch pies)

1 cup granulated sugar 

1/2 cup light brown sugar 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice4 large eggs 

2 cans (15 oz.) Pumpkin

 1 can (12 fl. oz.) Evaporated Milk

1 cup (8 ounces) half and half 

2 unbaked 9-inch (4-cup volume) deep-dish pie shells 

Whipped cream (optional)

Directions

MIX sugar, pumpkin, cinnamon, salt,  and pumpkin pie spice in mixing bowl.   Beat eggs in bowl and add to mixing bowl.  Stir in evaporated milk and half and half.

POUR into pie shell.

BAKE in preheated 425° F oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. Top with whipped cream before serving if desired.

Sugar Cream Pie

1 1/3 cups sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour, unsifted
1/2 pint (1 cup) whipping cream
3/4 cup milk
1 (9-inch) unbaked pie shell
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
Pinch nutmeg

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Combine sugar, flour together.  Then add cream and milk into the mixing bowl.  Cut butter into small bits, or shred it on cheese grater and mix with ingredients in bowl.  .  , cream, and milk in a mixing bowl. Pour into pie shell. Sprinkle with Apple Pie Spice.
 Bake for approximately 10 minutes, and then reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and cook for approximately 45 more minutes. Cool to room temperature and then refrigerate until chilled. Serve chilled.

Cook's Note: If using a glass baking dish, lower oven temperature by 25 degrees F.

adapted from: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/mae-dawsons-hoosier-sugar-cream-pie-recipe/index.html?oc=linkback

Pecan Pie

My most requested holiday pie, Pecan,  we love it around here.  Wish we would have planted a few trees 20 years ago!
1 pie crust, baked about 5 minutes in 350 degree oven. 
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. salt
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter
1 1/2 cups pecans

Partially bake a 9 inch pie crust, leave oven on 350.

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat for about 4 minutes, stirring often, until the butter just starts to turn light brown.

In a medium bowl mix together butter,  sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, Add eggs and mix until smooth. Stir in pecans, making sure they are all coated well, and then slowly pour the filling into the pie crust. 

Bake for about 50-60 minutes, or until the filling is set. If the edges of the crust begin to turn too brown, briefly remove the pie from the oven and cover the crust with a pie crust shield, or loosely wrap with aluminum foil, then return to the oven. Once the filling is set, remove the pie and let cool completely before slicing.

 Top with whipped cream if desired.

Zuchinni Bread

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon 3 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil 2 1/4 cups white sugar 3 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 cups grated zucchini 1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

1.	Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2.	Sift flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl.
3.	Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in zucchini and nuts until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.
4.	Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and completely cool.

Cheesecake

I was craving cheesecake, so I made one, it turned out pretty good, this recipe is definitely a keeper!  I've made this recipe twice now, and have modified the ingredients to fit my apparently 8inch springform pan.  If you have a 9 inch, I added the address at the bottom where I originally found this recipe.   I've found that it does me no good just to link to recipes, like on Pinterest, because if the party who put the recipe there takes it down, the recipe is gone.  That's why I started keeping recipes like this, here. 

Crust

• 2 cups (475 ml) of Graham cracker crumbs (from a little less than 2 packages Graham crackers) or if you buy the box of crumbs like I do, you can make 2 cheesecakes from one box
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• Pinch salt
• 5 Tbsp (70 g) unsalted butter (if using salted butter, omit the pinch of salt), melted

Filling

• 2 pounds cream cheese (900 g), room temperature
• 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar (270 g) 
• Pinch of salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3 large eggs
• 2/3 cup sour cream (160 ml)
• 2/3 cup heavy whipping cream (160 ml)

I stop here, but if you want a sourcream topping, the recipe follows:
Toppings

• 2 cups sour cream (475 ml)
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar (35 g)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 12 ounces (340 g) fresh raspberries
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100 g)
• 1/2 cup water (120 ml)

1 Prepare the springform pan so that no water leaks into it while cooking.* Place a large 18-inch by 18-inch square of aluminum foil on a flat surface. Place the springform pan in the middle of the foil. Gently fold up the sides of the foil around the pan. Make sure to do this gently so that you don't create any holes in the foil. If there are any holes, water will get into the pan and ruin the crust. Press the foil around the edges of the pan. Place a second large square of foil underneath the pan, and repeat, gently folding up the sides of the foil around the pan and pressing the foil against the pan. Gently crimp the top of the foil sheets around the top edge of the pan.
2 Preheat oven to 350°F, with rack in lower third of oven. Pulse the graham crackers in a food processor or blender until finely ground. Put in a large bowl, and stir in the sugar and salt. Use your (clean) hands to stir in the melted butter.

3 Put all but 1/4 cup of the graham cracker crumbs in the bottom of the springform pan. (Save the remaining 1/4 cup for if you happen to have any holes that need to be filled in, either while you are making the crust, or after the cake has cooked and you've unmolded it.) Gently press down on the crumbs using your fingers, until the crumbs are a nice even layer at the bottom of the pan, with maybe just a slight rise along the inside edges of the pan. Be careful as you do this, as not to tear the aluminum foil. Place in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.

4 Cut the cream cheese into chunks and place in the bowl of an electric mixer, with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed for 4 minutes until smooth, soft and creamy. Add the sugar, beat for 4 minutes more. Add the salt and vanilla, beating after each addition. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating for one minute after each addition. Add the sour cream, beat until incorporated. Add the heavy cream, beat until incorporated. Remember to scrape down the sides of the mixer bowl, and scrape up any thicker bits of cream cheese that have stuck to the bottom of the mixer that paddle attachment has failed to incorporate.

5 Place the foil-wrapped springform pan in a large, high-sided roasting pan. Prepare 2 quarts of boiling water. Pour the cream cheese filling into the springform pan, over the graham cracker bottom layer. Smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Place the roasting pan with the springform pan in it, in the oven, on the lower rack. Carefully pour the hot water into the roasting pan (without touching the hot oven), to create a water bath for the cheesecake, pouring until the water reaches halfway up the side of the springform pan, about 1 1/4 inches. (Alternatively you can add the water before putting the pan in the oven, whichever is easier for you.) Cook at 325°F for 1 1/2 hours.
6 Turn off the heat of the oven. Crack open the oven door 1-inch, and let the cake cool in the oven, as the oven cools, for another hour. This gentle cooling will help prevent the cheesecake surface from cracking.
7 Cover the top of the cheesecake with foil, so that it doesn't actually touch the cheesecake. Chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours, or overnight.

5 Place the foil-wrapped springform pan in a large, high-sided roasting pan. Prepare 2 quarts of boiling water. Pour the cream cheese filling into the springform pan, over the graham cracker bottom layer. Smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Place the roasting pan with the springform pan in it, in the oven, on the lower rack. Carefully pour the hot water into the roasting pan (without touching the hot oven), to create a water bath for the cheesecake, pouring until the water reaches halfway up the side of the springform pan, about 1 1/4 inches. (Alternatively you can add the water before putting the pan in the oven, whichever is easier for you.) Cook at 325°F for 1 1/2 hours.
6 Turn off the heat of the oven. Crack open the oven door 1-inch, and let the cake cool in the oven, as the oven cools, for another hour. This gentle cooling will help prevent the cheesecake surface from cracking.
7 Cover the top of the cheesecake with foil, so that it doesn't actually touch the cheesecake. Chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours, or overnight.

Prepare sour cream topping
8 Place sour cream in a medium sized bowl, stir in the powdered sugar and vanilla, until smooth. Chill until you are ready to serve the cake.
Note that this recipe produces enough sour cream topping for a thick topping and some extra to spoon over individual pieces of cheesecake, if desired. If you would like a thinner layer of topping and no extra, reduce the sour cream topping ingredients in half.
Prepare the raspberry sauce
9 Place raspberries, sugar, and water in a small saucepan. Use a potato masher to mash the raspberries. Heat on medium, whisking, about 5 minutes, until the sauce begins to thicken. Remove from heat. Let cool.
Prepare the cake to serve
 10 Remove the cake from the refrigerator. Remove the foil from the sides of the pan, and place the cake on your cake serving dish. Run the side of a blunt knife between the edge of the cake and the pan. Dorie recommends, and we've done with success, that you use a hair dryer to heat the sides of the pan to make it easier to remove. Open the springform latch and gently open the pan and lift up the sides. Spread the top with the sour cream mixture. Serve plain or drizzled with raspberry sauce.

16 servings

Adapted from http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/perfect_cheesecake/

Hot Fudge Sauce

I have been craving a hot fudge sundae all week.  I decided to make my own sauce.  It is amazing.  A Martha Stewart Recipe

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I usually add just  a little more)
1 cup sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup half and half or evaporated milk
1/8 teaspoon salt (calls for kosher, I use regular)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter (I leave out the above salt if I only have regular butter)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in saucepan except for vanilla.
Cook over med. heat.
Stir until mixture boils.
Set timer and boil for 2 minutes, stir occasionally I found 2 minutes was perfect
(Don't boil for more than 3 minutes or it will become like fudge).
Turn off heat and stir in vanilla.
Store in refrigerator up to a week.
Can reheat in microwave for a few seconds at a time or place in pan of hot water until sauce warms and thins.

Jammin!

I established my love of black raspberries, and the best way to have that flavor year round?  Make them into Jam!

This stuff is Nectar of the Gods!!

I ended up with 38 jars of deliciousness!

My Raspberry Jam

8 cups raspberries
8 cups sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
 2/3 cup Pectin (I use Pacific Pectin)

Mix all in a large pot, turn heat on medium until the sugar and berries and pectin are combined.  Bring to a rapid boil, boil 3 minutes, turn off heat, check with jam on a spoon to make sure it's jelling like you like. If it is, ladle into sterilized jars and seal.  If it's not, turn the heat back on, add another 1/3 cup pectin and bring to a boil again.  Let boil 2 minutes, turn heat off, check after 20 minutes or so for jell. 

Berry Pickin'

Black Raspberries are my absolute favorite.  Not only do they taste delicious, they transport me back to my childhood when I spent days searching for a picking wild Black Raspberries to be made into the delicious confections I love.

We have a few black raspberry bushes here, but not enough to do much with except eat fresh picked.
So, #1 son and I made the 60 mile trip to a local U-Pick Raspberry farm  and came away with a LOT of raspberries, much to my sheer delight!

Porcupine Meatballs

 Porcupine Meatballs are remembered fondly from my childhood!  Tonight I'm pairing the meatballs with baked beans and deviled eggs.  Yum.

2 pounds ground beef or turkey
1 small onion finely chopped
tsp salt
tsp pepper
tbsp parsley flakes
tbsp garlic salt
tbsp celery flakes
1 egg

1 jar favorite spagetti sauce or plain tomato sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Mix Meatball ingredients together, form into 1/3 cup sized balls.  Line casserole dish with meatballs.
Mix together sauce ingredients and pour over meatballs.  Bake at 350 for about 70 minutes.

 

Chocolate Amaretto Cake

So, I wanted to make a special treat for father's day, and decided to add a twist to it.  I took traditional Hellman's Chocolate Birthday cake and turned it into a really great Ameretto cake, according to the family.

Cake
2 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1-1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. baking powder   

 3 eggs

1-2/3 cups sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup Hellmann's® or Best Foods® Real Mayonnaise

1- cups water

1/3 Cup Amaretto Liquor

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and lightly flour (I dust with cocoa instead of flour) two 9-inch round cake pans*; set aside.

2. In medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and baking powder; set aside.

3. In large bowl, with electric mixer at high speed, beat eggs, sugar and vanilla for 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Beat in Hellmann's® or Best Foods® Real Mayonnaise at low speed until blended. Alternately beat in flour mixture with water, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Pour into prepared pans.

4. Bake 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. On wire racks, cool 10 minutes; remove from pans and cool completely. Frost, if desired, or sprinkle with confectioners sugar.

*Or, prepare cake mix as above in 13 x 9-inch baking pan and bake 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Frosting

½ c. unsalted butter (1 stick)

2/3 c. cocoa powder

3 c. confectioners’ sugar

1/3 c. milk (use cream for an oh my gosh good richness)

1 tsp. almond extract

DIRECTIONS:

1. Melt the butter in a medium bowl. Stir in the cocoa. Alternately add confectioners’ sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla.