Fast Turtles

A couple of weeks ago I hosted a cookie/treat/goodie exchange here at my house. There were about 15 women that showed up bringing all kinds of wonderful sweets. We had everything from cookies to flavored popcorn. From jam to pecan brittle. Yes....pecan brittle. Oh so good! But one of the most popular things that was there were these yummy little treasures. One of the young moms brought them (Hi, Tab!!) and they were a HIT! So many people asked for the recipe...me being one of them. I asked Tab if I could post the recipe and she graciously said yes. She had found it on a site somewhere....I also found it here: www.southernplate.com.

And now it's HERE! If you're needing a quick little treat, make this! If you're going to a New Year's Eve party....take this! If you're having a bad day and need to go hide in the closet, make this!! You won't be sorry. Or maybe you will if you eat the whole plate. Try to refrain....it's hard, though. Just ask me...I'm still working on not going into the kitchen to gobble down the remaining few. I may need therapy.
Fast Turtles



1 12-ounce package Rolo’s candies
1 bag pretzels – small twists or squares
Pecan halves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place pretzels on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Place one unwrapped Rolo on top of each pretzel. Heat in the oven for 2 (TWO) minutes. Any longer and you will have a big, melty mess on your hands. As soon as pretzels come out of the oven, lightly squish a pecan half on top on the melty Rolo. Let set until firm. 

If you want to make a LOT of these...buy 2 or 3 bags of Rolos because you will run out of those first. I used 1 bag and scored about 50 or so turtles...which seems like a lot but really isn't. These babies need quite a while to set up. In the fridge for a few hours or overnight works best.

 
This is all you need to make 
these yummy little treats.

 
In the oven for TWO minutes!!

 
You'll notice that a few of mine 
 didn't put pecans on. We have 
someone in our family allergic to 
nuts. But I just used my finger to 
mash down the Rolo. You can also 
just add another pretzel on top.

Biscoff Candy Cups

My daughter actually tipped me off to these after seeing them online somewhere. And so, being the chocolate/Biscoff fan that I am, I made my own! And you know what's great about these little gems? Not only are they delicious....but you can make a little or a lot. Use milk chocolate or white...or dark...what ever tickles your taste buds. These are just a fun twist on peanut butter cups and so easy to make. I used a candy mold that I had but you don't have to do that. Use the little paper candy cups if ya' want. They're just fun and easy....and yummy!

Biscoff Candy Cups



1 11-ounce bag milk chocolate chips
1 cup (apprx) Biscoff Spread (found in the peanut butter aisle)

Melt chocolate chips in the microwave, 1 cup at a time, for 30 minutes.

Stir and continue to melt at 15 second intervals, stirring, until chocolate is melted and smooth.

Using a candy cup mold, or paper candy cups in a muffin tin, coat the cups with the melted chocolate making sure chocolate goes all the way up the sides.

Place in freezer for about 10 minutes until chocolate has hardened.

Stir Biscoff Spread until smooth and place about a teaspoon of the spread in the frozen candy cup. Smooth top.

Add a little more melted chocolate on top of the Biscoff and place back in the freezer for another 10 minutes or so.

Remove candy cups from the mold but leave in the paper cups if you're using those. 

Here's all you need. Some 

chocolate and some biscoff.

Melt the chocolate.

Then coat the candy cups on 

the bottom and up the sides. 

I left the bottom just a teeny bit thick.

Then pop them in the freezer 

for a little bit. (Yes, I keep 

marshmallow Peeps in my freezer. 

What of it?)

Then spread about a teaspoon

of the Biscoff in the bottom.

Then top with more melted chocolate 

and place back in the freezer.

Yum!!!!!

Caramel Pretzel Candy

Who doesn’t enjoy a nice salted caramel candy? With a little crunch? You do? Then you might want to try these. I made my regular caramel candy recipe but added some stick pretzels instead of the pecans I normally add! WOW! What a fun treat! Smooth and creamy caramel with that salty flavor going on while you crunch on the pretzels?? It’s a party in your mouth!


Caramel Pretzel Candy



2 cups sugar
2 cups heavy cream
1 3/4 cup light Karo syrup
2 sticks butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups pretzels (I used the stick kind)

In a large pot, mix sugar, 1 cup of the cream, Karo syrup and butter.

Bring to a boil on medium-high heat.

When it reaches a rolling boil, add the remaining 1 cup of cream.

Reduce heat to medium and continue to boil until mixture reaches the firm-ball stage....about 235 degrees on a candy thermometer.

Remove from heat. Stir in the vanilla.

Stir in the pretzels.

Pour into a buttered 9x13 inch baking dish. Let caramel cool and set up. Cut into bite-sized squares and wrap in plastic wrap.

Let's get going!

Combine the sugar, butter, Karo 

and 1 cup of the cream.

Bring to a boil.

Add the remaining cup of cream.

Bring to a boil....

...and let it rise to 235 degrees 

on a candy thermometer.

This is the firm-ball stage.

Add the vanilla.

Then add the pretzels.

Pour into a buttered pan.

Yummy caramels. See the 

pretzels??? So good!!!

Candy Bar Pie

Here's another recipe from the "Mother-in-law files". You can use any kind of candy bar you'd like in this. I used Milky Way Caramel simply because at that moment, IT Guy thought those candy bars looked good while he was standing with me in the candy bar aisle. Snickers would be great....and I think Reese's would be fantastic. I'm not sure why this is called a pie unless it's because of the crust. It tasted more like cheesecake to me. But...whatever you call it, call it good!


Candy Bar Pie


 


1 9" pie crust ~ precooked in a 450 degree oven for 5 minutes

5 candy bars ~ any kind (I used the mini Milky Way Caramel kind. I bought two snack packs for $1.00 each. Each package had 6 candy bars in them and I used 10.)
1/2 cup sugar
12 ounces cream cheese ~ room temperature
2 eggs
1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup peanut butter ~ I used chunky because that's what I had...but smooth is fine
2/3 cup chocolate chips
3 tablespoons heavy cream


Cut each candy bar into small pieces and sprinkle into precooked pie crust.


In a mixing bowl, combine sugar, cream cheese and eggs until well mixed.


Add sour cream and peanut butter and beat well.


Pour mixture over pie crust and smooth.


Bake at 325 degrees until the middle is set.


Chill pie overnight and drizzle with ganache.




Ganache


In a small bowl, microwave the heavy cream until hot but not boiling. Add chocolate chips. whisk to smooth. Drizzle over chilled pie.

Here we go!

Place your pie crust in the pan. 

Bake the empty crust for about 5 minutes.

Chop your candy bars into small chunks.

Then sprinkle them in the prebaked crust.

Combine the cream cheese, eggs, and sugar.

Then add the sour cream and peanut butter.

Pour the cream cheese 

mixture over into the crust.

Then bake! Allow to cool.

Heat your cream in the microwave 

for little bit. You want it hot but not 

boiling. Maybe 45 seconds to a minutes. 

Then add the chocolate chips. 

Let them sit in the hot cream for a bit.

The whisk until smooth.

Drizzle over the pie/cheesecake.

14 Carat Pecan Brittle

My sister-in-law's been making this pecan brittle for years. I asked her for the recipe a long time and all of a sudden...she couldn't find it. How convenient, right???? Ahh..just kidding. She found it the other day when she wasn't even looking for it. She had transferred it from an old clipping onto a sheet of paper and stuck into her recipe binder and then forgot she had done it. I wish I'd had this to share with you all during the holidays, but trust me...this stuff is so good and so easy to make, you'll want it year 'round!

14 Carat Pecan Brittle



1 cup sugar
1/2 cup dark corn syrup
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 cups pecan halves
1 teaspoon butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda

Grease a cookie sheet with cooking spray and set aside.

In a large greased, glass bowl, cook syrup, sugar and salt on high in the microwave for 2 - 3 minutes until boiling.

Stir.

Cook 4 more minutes.

Stir in pecans, butter, vanilla and cinnamon.

Cook 2 minutes.

Immediately stir in baking soda until light and foamy.

Quickly pour into prepared pan and spread.

Cool then break into pieces.


 
Here we go!

 
Combine the sugar, corn syrup and 
salt and cook for a couple of minutes.

 
Stir the mixture then cook for a few 
more minutes then add the pecans, 
butter, vanilla and cinnamon. 
Cook for another couple of minutes.

 
Then add the baking soda 
and stir like crazy until the 
mixture is light a foamy. 
Spread out onto a well 
greased cookie sheet. 
As you can see this does 
not make a lot but you 
certainly can double the recipe.

 
Yummy!

I made an orange cake the other day and needed a little something to spruce up the top of the cake. I decided that candied orange peel would work great! One nice thing about this is that you can double the recipe if you need more. I plan on making more to use in cookies. These taste just like those mysterious orange slice candies you can buy in the store! I love those! I'm going to make some and dip them in chocolate, too! So many possibilities!

Candied Orange Peel

This takes a little planning as you need a couple of says for the peel to dry completely.

1 large orange, 1/4 inch of top and bottom cut off
2 cups sugar, divided
1 1/2 cups water

Cut orange into 4 segments. Remove the inside from each segment leaving the white pith on the peel.

Cut each orange peel into 1/4-inch-wide strips.

Cook in large pot of boiling water 15 minutes; drain, rinse, and drain again.

Bring 1 1/2 cups sugar and the water to boil in medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add the rinsed and drained peel. Return to boil. Reduce heat; simmer until peel is very soft, about 45 minutes. Drain.

On a lined, rimmed cookie sheet, separate strips then sprinkle on 1/2 cup sugar. Toss strips with a spatula so the sugar gets on all sides.  Lift peel from sugar then transfer to a plate. Let stand until coating is dry, 1 to 2 days. 

Can be wrapped and frozen for a couple of months. 

 
Okee-doke...here's what you need.


 
Lop off the ends of the orange.


 
Then slice into 4 parts. Take out the innards, 
leaving the pith on the peel.


 
Slice them into 1/4 inch slices.


 
Boil them for about 15 minutes.


 
Rinse and drain.


 
Combine 1 1/2 cups water and 1 1/2 cups sugar. 
Throw the orange peel in there.


 
Cook at a low boil for about 45 minutes 
until it looks thick and syrupy. Drain.


 
Spread the sticky peels onto a lined cookie sheet.


 
Sprinkle with sugar.


 
Toss around until everything's coated. 
I used a metal spatula to help.


 
Lay peels on a plate to dry for a day or so then use however!