Homemade Turtles

Homemade Turtles

The Turtles are no-bake, easy, ready in under a half hour, and you only need 4 ingredients. Save the recipe for holiday candy-making, birthdays, or for a last-minute hostess gift. Take your time melting the caramels, stopping and stirring frequently so they don't burn. I coated half the batch with dark chocolate and half with milk chocolate. On some I sprinkled sea salt to play up the salty-and-sweet aspect and on others I drizzled milk chocolate over a dark chocolate-coated Turtle and vice versa. Between the salty-and-sweet component, the crunchy pecans, chewy and gooey caramel, and the rich chocolate, they're hard to resist.

INGREDIENTS:

8 ounces pecan halves (I used roasted, lightly salted)
25 caramel squares, unwrapped (about 1 heaping cup)
1/4 cup cream or half-and-half, divided
about 16 ounces roughly chopped chocolate, melted (I used 8 ounces dark and 8 ounces milk, both our gourmet amazing chocolates)
sea salt, optional for sprinkling (I used our salt)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Line two baking sheets or large platters with parchment paper. It's helpful if they will fit in either fridge or freezer.
2. Make small piles of pecans, using 5 to 6 pieces per pile. Overlap the pecans some to reduce gaps so the caramel doesn't seep through.
3. In a medium microwave-safe bowl, add the caramels, half of the cream (reserve the remainder), and heat on high power to melt. It will probably take about 3 to 4 minutes total, but you must stop and stir the mixture every 30 seconds so you don't burn it. The first few times, stirring is almost futile but eventually the caramels soften enough to be stirred smooth. Take your time, don't overheat or heat too quickly, and keep stirring; it will come together. If the mixture seems thick and needs more cream, add the remaining amount. I used 1/4 cup total and have made the recipe with both Kraft brand caramels and Werther's Baking Caramels, but caramels vary and you may need less cream than I did. The caramel is runny and loose when it first comes together, but firms up quite a bit as it cools. Alternatively, you can melt caramels on the stove over low heat, using caution and stirring frequently.
4. Add about 1 tablespoon caramel to the top of each pecan pile; set aside.
5. In a medium microwave-safe bowl, add 8 ounces chocolate and heat to melt, about 1 minute on high power. Heat in 15-second increments until chocolate can be stirred smooth. I prefer working in smaller batches with chocolate and recommend doing the same and not heating all 16 ounces at once; melt additional chocolate as necessary.
6. Add about 2 tablespoons chocolate to the top of each pecan cluster by dolloping it on top and letting it fall down the sides.
7. Optionally add a pinch of sea salt to each Turtle.
8. Allow Turtles to firm up at room temp (will take many hours) or in the fridge or freezer (about 15 minutes) before serving. Turtles will keep airtight at room temperature for weeks, or in the fridge or freezer for many months.

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EASY 3 INGREDIENT NO BAKE PUDDING CAKE!

Pudding Cake is a great way to have your cake and not heat up the house!!!! This is my go to recipe for pot luck gatherings. It’s quick and easy to make and transports well. People are amazed at how simple it is to complete the recipe. Everyone always asks for the recipe, so be prepared.

Not only is the pudding cake easy to make, the ingredients aren’t costly.  The 3 ingredients are easy to keep on hand and you can add chocolate syrup or sprinkles for added color, too. I also love that I can easily turn this into a Weight Watcher recipe by using low fat and sugar free items! Be sure to try it with chocolate pudding, too. YUM!

5.0 from 2 reviews

EASY 3 INGREDIENT NO BAKE PUDDING CAKE!

 

I used the 4 serving size boxes of pudding. I know they make 6 serving size, too. Those would also work, you would just have LOTS of pudding and need to put less cool whip on top. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

• 3 small (4 serving size) packages instant pudding Prepared as directed (6 cups)
• 8 oz cool whip thawed
• 1 Box graham crackers

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Lay out graham crackers in a 9 x 13 pan
2. Cover graham crackers with half of pudding
3. Layer graham crackers over the pudding layer
4. Cover graham cracker layer with remaining pudding
5. Top with cool whip
6. Refrigerate overnight or for at least 6 hours
7. Cut & serve like cake

MAGIC CUSTARD CAKE

I finally found the recipe everyone has been asking me for, so here it is again, nice & naughty so eat in moderation...............

MAGIC CUSTARD CAKE

Ingredients:

4 eggs (whites separated from yolks), room temp
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup sugar
1 stick butter, melted/125g
3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 cups milk lukewarm
powdered sugar for dusting cake

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325 F degrees. Grease and Line 8 inch x 8 inch baking dish with parchment.
Separate eggs and add the egg whites to a mixer and beat egg whites stiff. Place egg whites in a bowl and set aside.
Beat the egg yolks & sugar until light. Add butter and vanilla. Beat for two mins. Add the flour and mix it in until fully incorporated.
Slowly start adding the milk and beat until everything is well mixed together. Add the egg whites, a third at a time and gently fold them in using a spatula, repeat until all egg whites are folded in. Pour batter into baking dish and bake for approx 60 minutes or until the top is lightly golden. Cool and dust heavily with powdered sugar.

Warm Skillet Bread with Artichoke Spinach Dip

Be sure to allow dish (and skillet!) to cool from hot to warm before serving. You can always wrap the handle in a tea towel, just to be safe. My skillet is 8-inches diameter on the bottom, 10-inches across the top.   

Warm Skillet Bread with Artichoke Spinach Dip

Perfect for game day or family get-togethers, this dish is warm, creamy and cheesy. Adapt it by using any baked dip in the center. Do watch the hot skillet and wrap the handle, if necessary.

Ingredients

• Bread Dough: (or use one loaf of frozen bread dough, thawed)
• 2 3/4 – 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 tsp. active dry or instant yeast
• 1 tsp. fine salt
• 1 cup milk, warmed but not hot
• 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil or melted butter
• Artichoke Spinach Dip:
• 4 cups loosely packed fresh baby spinach (or 1/2 of a 10 oz. package frozen spinach, thawed, drained)
• 170 ml jar of marinated artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped (can also use regular canned artichokes, about 2/3 cup chopped)
• 4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature (1/2 a typical brick)
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp. Sriracha sauce (or any “hot sauce” you like)
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup mozzarella, shredded + more for topping
• Salt and pepper
• To serve:
• 1/4 cup mozzarella, shredded
• Freshly ground pepper

Instructions

1. For making bread dough: (If using pre-made dough, skip ahead to make the dip and then Cutting/shaping dough below)
2. Add two cups of the flour to a large bowl of the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a kneading hook. Add salt and combine. Warm milk to lukewarm. Stir in yeast and let stand a few minutes. Add yeast mixture to bowl, along with the vegetable oil or melted butter. Mix and add additional flour in 1/4 cup increments until a smooth dough forms. Knead until smooth. Transfer dough to an oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
3. Make Dip: Meanwhile, place fresh spinach in a bowl with 1 Tbsp. of water. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and microwave on high for 1 minute. Remove from microwave, leave covered and let stand 15 minutes to cool. Drain spinach well and add to a medium bowl.
4. Add the remaining dip ingredients and mix until well combined. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
5. Cutting/shaping dough: Turn dough out onto a lightly floured cutting board. Using a sharp knife or bench scraper, cut the dough into 16 equal pieces. (I cut in half, then each piece in half, then repeat cutting each piece into equal parts until I have 16 pieces). Shape each piece into a ball by pinching the edges together underneath.
6. Generously butter an 8-inch cast-iron skillet. Find a bowl that is about 5 1/2-inches across the top, spray the outside with cooking spray and place it, top side down, in the center of the skillet. (*If you can’t find a bowl, take a sheet of tin foil and shape it into a tight circle about 5 1/2-inches around and 1 inch high and place it in the centre. Spray it with cooking spray.
7. Arrange the dough balls around the outside of the skillet, pushing them together as needed until they all fit. Brush dough balls generously with melted butter. Cover the skillet with plastic wrap and let rise until puffy, about 30 minutes.
8. Pre-heat oven to 375° F. with rack in center of oven. Remove bowl from center of skillet. Spoon prepared dip into the center space, pushing it right up to the edge of the dough. Sprinkle top of dip with additional mozzarella/Parmesan. Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 30 minutes, until rolls are golden and sound hollow when tapped and the dip is bubbly.
9. Remove from oven. Raise oven rack to the top third and switch oven to broil. Sprinkle the rolls with additional mozzarella cheese and return skillet to oven under the broiler, until the cheese and dip is browned.
10. Let skillet stand at least 5-10 minutes, or until just warm (not hot). Add a bit of freshly ground pepper on top, if you like. Do watch the hot skillet handle and wrap in a towel if it is still to hot to hold. Serve with a dip “knife” and let everyone serve themselves.

Pizza Dip

Pizza Dip

ingredients:

4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated, divided
1/2 tsp oregano
1 cup pizza sauce (I use my homemade sauce)
garlic toasts for dipping (*recipe below)

directions:

Preheat the oven to 350. Lightly grease a 9-inch pie plate and set aside.

In a medium sized bowl, mix together the cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, 1/2 cup of the mozzarella, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, and oregano. Spread the mixture in the bottom of the prepared pie plate. Spread the pizza sauce on top and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmesan. Cover with pepperoni slices.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the sides are bubbling and the cheese is melted and lightly browned on top. Serve with garlic toasts, chips, or bread for dipping.

*To make the garlic toasts, I lightly spread thin slices of french bread with butter, sprinkled garlic salt and oregano on top, and baked them during the last 10 minutes or so of the pizza dip baking time. I highly recommend these. :)

Four Cheese and Onion Dip

Note: This dip, once chilled, also makes a great spread for finger sandwiches!!!

Ingredients

• 1 cup Cheddar jack cheese, shredded
• ½ cup Swiss cheese, shredded
• ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 2/3 cup whipped salad dressing (such as Miracle Whip®)
• 2/3 cup diced yellow onion
• ½ cup milk
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Mix all ingredients until well combined and spread into a 1-quart  baking dish.
3. Bake for 40 minutes or until dip is bubbling and top is lightly browned. Serve with crackers, pretzels, celery sticks, thick cut potato chips, or pita chips.

Game-Day Mini Pizzas

 Tidbit:

The sky's the limit on the flavor combinations you can create! Got picky eaters? Let them "decorate" their own ;)

Mini pizzas are adorable and delicious. If you haven’t made and served these before, you don’t know what fun you’re missing! With a little pizza sauce, your choice of cheeses, and an array of toppings, you can use your creativity to whip up a whole host of these little beauties. - 

Ingredients

• Mini pizza crusts such as Boboli, English muffins,pita bread, sandwich rounds, or refrigerated or homemade pizza dough cut into rounds
• Sauces such as pizza sauce and pesto sauce, alfredo sauce, etc.
• A variety of shredded or crumbled cheeses such as mozzarella,Cheddar,provolone,feta and bleu cheese
• A variety of veggie toppings such as fresh spinach,onions,tomatoes, fresh basil,jalapeños,artichokes,mushrooms and roasted red peppers, olives, etc. 
• A variety of cooked meat toppings such as pepperoni, Italian sausage,ham,bacon, ground beef and diced chicken

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place mini pizza crusts on a baking sheet and top each with sauce, cheese and desired toppings.
3. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Serve immediately.