LaRee McNeese's Fudge

LaRee's fudge is famous at Piper Barn Craft Show.  People come just to get her fudge and she was kind enough share her recipe with me. 

1# milk chocolate, can be Hershey Bars, chocolate chips, or she uses dipping chocolate wafers.
1 12 ounce package semi sweet chocolate chips
1 10 ounce package mini marshmellows
2 cups chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

MEASURE ABOVE INGREDIENTS INTO A BOWL AND SET ASIDE

In a heavy pan stir over medium heat:
4 1/2 cups sugar
1 12 ounce can evaporated milk (she uses 1 1/2 cups whipping cream, so do I)
1 4 ounce cube of butter.
Stir until mixture starts to boil. Boil 5 minutes, remove from heat and quickly add set aside ingredients and mix thoroughly until chocolate and marshmallows  are melted (add nuts) and pour into a buttered 9x13 pan until set, 24 hours is a good amount of time for all the flavors to blend.
(or 1/2 pound each in small individual containers with lids).
Make 5# fudge.

AUNT GWEN'S TOFFEE (CARAMELS)

2 Cups Sugar
3/4 Cup Karo Syrup
2 Cups half and half
1/2 Cup Butter

Mix and boil to a firm ball - about 240 Degrees.  Pour into a 9x9' pan.  Mark into squares before it sets. Cool.  Wrap in wax paper.

It has to be stirred almost constantly, or it will burn to the bottom.  It goes dark as it cooks.  (Do it when you have a long phone call to make.  Or a movie to watch.

Lemon Bar Muddy Buddies

If you love lemon desserts.....this is super yummy!  It really does taste like lemon bars!

6 c. Rice Chex cereal
1 c. white chocolate chips
1/4 c. butter
1/2 c. lemon curd (find in the jam/jellies isle)
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar

1. Melt white chocolate chips and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly. (The melting won't be smooth - don't worry!)
2. Once melted, remove from heat and stir in lemon curd until smooth.
3. Pour Rice Chex into a large paper bag (grocery size) and pour lemon mixture over cereal. Fold the bag to seal and shake to coat cereal.
4. Add powdered sugar to paper bag and shake once more to coat.
5. Spread out on cookie sheet to cool; once completely cool, store at room temperature in airtight containers.

http://www.lemontreedwelling.com/2013/05/lemon-bar-muddy-buddies.html

Mary Lou's Almond Roca

3 c sugar
1 lb butter minus 2 tbsp
1 cup raw almonds cut in thirds
6 Hershey bars
finely chopped almonds

Cook butter and sugar over med high (#8 on my stove) until they are melted together, stirring constantly..  As the mixture cooks adjust the heat so that it boils constantly but doesn't burn.  Stir in the cup of almond thirds after a few minutes and keep stirring.  When the bottom of the pan begins to smoke cook for about 1 minute more.  Quickly pour onto a heavy cookie sheet (12"x18") and smooth out.  Cool and melt the Hershey bars and spread on both sides and sprinkle with finely chopped almonds!  Cool and Voila! Almond Roca!

Nanaimo Bars

I got this recipe from my roommate from Victoria, BC my freshman year of college!

Crust Bottom Layer:
1/2 cup butter .......Melt complete in a medium saucepan
1/3 cup cocoa
1/4 cup sugar ........add to melted butter and stir til smooth
1 large egg ................{whisk at room temp. by itself first} add slowly to saucepan over
. ................................................low heat while whisking constantly until smooth/thick consistency
1 tsp. vanilla ............add to chocolate sauce
2 c. crushed graham crackers
1 c. coconut.................add chocolate to these last ingredients and mix
**Put in 9 inch square pan and chill for 1 hour!!


Butter Cream Center Layer:
4 TBSP butter ...............................................beat (kitchenaid, hand mixer, etc) at room temp til creamy
2 TBSP vanilla pudding powder
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 c. powdered sugar.................................add to butter and mix until consistent
2-4 TBSP Milk .................................................start with 2, add more if needed and mix until thick
............................................................................................but creamy {needs to be spreadable}
**Spread over refrigerated crust and refrigerate for 1 hour


Chocolate Top Layer:
4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips .......NOT milk chocolate
1 TBSP butter.......................................................... melt chips and butter in double boiler and spread
................................................................................................... over refrigerated butter cream
**Refrigerate for 10-15 minutes (if it's too long, when you slice them the chocolate will crack/break, if that's the case, let it sit out for 5 minutes until they can be sliced easily. Put on plate and refrigerate until you need to serve them. ***They're quite rich so slices should be small!! Here's a video if you want to see the steps.

Peanut Butter Squares

This is an old family favorite and I figured out why they've been so sticky as of late!!

Ingredients:
1c. butter (softened NOT melted)
1c. peanut butter
2c. powdered sugar
1 pack + 3more graham crackers {Here's the fix!!}

12 oz. pkg. chocolate chips {melted}

Instructions:
Put graham crackers in a ziploc and smash them until VERY fine with a rolling pin.
Mix the first four until uniform and spread in a large cookie sheet.
Cover with melted chocolate.
I refrigerate to make it set faster and leave it in when it's not being eaten to keep it fresh.

YUMMY

Crispy Clusters

My friend, Elaine Townsend gave me this recipe some time in the early 1980's, it has been a family favorite ever since.

1 cup small marshmallows
1 cup rice crispies
I cup cheerios
1 cup peanuts
(if you have allergies to peanuts, add 1 more cup of cereal,
maybe a cup of corn checks, Maybe even broken pretzels?)

1 lb Block candy coating
Melt the candy coating and pour over the dry ingredients, stir it all together
Spoon teaspoons size drops onto wax paper and let cool.
Voila! Easy peasy