Thursday Treats: No-Cook Chocolate Fudge {Betty Crocker}

My friend Deb loves fudge more than any other dessert or sweet. She has a favourite recipe, but doesn't like baking very much--enter Elsa. This was the first time I made fudge, and wanted to test some recipes, so I began with this simple one from Betty Crocker's book. Her fiance really loved the book variation, but Deb swooned when she tried my second batch with my adjustments. Crocker's fudge is pretty good...but it lacked the richness and creamy smoothness of what you expect from fudge [my variations were an improvement, but I'm still on the search for great fudge!]. To me, it tasted like glorified semi-sweet chocolate chips. However, I did like her recipe in that you could eat more than just one tiny square and not get sick :D

I would say that this is a great first-timer's recipe to follow, but to me the taste didn't scream "FUDGE!". You decide!

No-Cook Chocolate Fudge

Betty Crocker Cookbook: 1500 Recipes for the Way You Cook Today

Betty Crocker

[Blue changes my modifications]

1 can [14 oz] sweetened condensed milk

1 bag [12 oz/2 cups] semisweet chocolate chips

[1+1/2 cups milk chocolate chips + 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips]

1 oz unsweetened baking chocolate, if desired

[Left out]

1 +1/2 cups chopped nuts, if desired

[Left out b/c Deb doesn't like nuts in her fudge, but would've used toasted pecan pieces.]

1 tsp vanilla

1. Grease bottom and sides of an 8-inch square pan with butter.

2. In a saucepan, heat the condensed milk, chocolate chips, and unsweetened chocolate over low heat, stirring constantly, until chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth; remove from heat.

3. Quickly stir in the nuts and vanilla. Spread the fudge in the pan. Refrigerate about 1 hour and 30 minutes or until firm. Cut into 1-inch squares. Store in an airtight container.

Thursday Treats: Oatmeal CC-M&M + Oatmeal Raisin-Craisin Cookies {Betty Crocker}

Last Thursday, I made these soft, buttery Toffee Bars. In my haste, however, I mis-read the recipe and started off with a "whoopsie".

All was not lost though! I flipped through my cookbook, and just a couple pages after this scrumptious recipe, I found one that would work for my "mess-up"....

Ultimate Oatmeal Cookies! And, guys...I have been wanting to make Monster Oatmeal Cookies for a loooonnnnnngggggg time, so these were a wonderful variation! I took'em to church for a snack after our Bible study and prayer because I just knew I would eat all of'em...that night. They are absolutely delicious.

I made the recipe as is, until I got to the mix-ins. I divided the dough in half and added chocolate chips and M&M's to one, and raisins and craisins to the other!

I preferred the ones with chocolate...simply because they are yummier. I'm not a fan of fruit in my cookies, such as raisins, but mostly because of the texture. However, I have plenty of friends who would much rather prefer raisins to chocolate chips! I just call'em weird :D

Honestly though, the raisin/craisin cookies were much softer. I think it was because I had to boil my raisins...they had lost their plumpness sitting in their little snack-size cartons. I have no kids to eat them, and I have no idea what possessed me to buy them in the first place. Perhaps I was on a healthy-snacks-only kick.

Either way, they were put to good use and lent themselves to be quite useful in making my cookies soft :D

Ultimate Oatmeal Cookies

Betty Crocker

1+1/2 cups packed brown sugar

1 cup butter

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp salt

2 large eggs

3 cups old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats

1+1/3 cups flour

1 cup raisins, craisins, chocolate chips, and/or M&M's

1. Heat oven to 350. In a large bowl, stir the brown sugar, butter, baking soda, cinnamon, vanilla, salt, and eggs with a wooden spoon until well mixed. Stir in the oats, flour and mix-in{s}.

2. Using a cookie scoop, or tableware spoon, place rounded tablespoonfuls of dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart.

3. Bake 9-11 minutes or until light brown. Remove cookies from the sheets onto cooling racks. Continue with the rest of the dough.

4. Share with your neighbour and Enjoy! :)

Thursday Treats: Toffee Bars {Betty Crocker}

I was looking for something both simple and quick because I didn't have very much time before our Thursday night Bible study and Prayer night, and these Toffee Bars fit the bill.

Actually, they might've been too easy because I messed up in the first step. I let my mind wander and put the egg in before separating the yolk and white.

It was ok though, because I quickly found another use for my "mess-up" and started over again on these. I paid attention to the egg part...

...but not to the butter. I was wondering why my mixture was so dry and crumbly and kept going over the list of ingredients. Egg, butter, sugar, vanilla, flour, salt...simple line-up and all there. Oh! But wait...I needed two sticks of butter, and I...I only put in one.

Ooops! Good thing I'm pretty ;)

Anyway, there wasn't very much else I could mess up on and if this recipe turned out a fail...it would be no fault of Betty but my own.

They were a success. Soft, shortbread type of crust with enough chocolate  to make it good but not sickeningly sweet. I subbed out the milk chocolate chips {I used those in my rescued mess-up!} for semi-sweet. I also added toffee bits to the top instead of nuts. Whether you make them with my substitutions, or as the original, I'm sure you'll love these treats.

Toffee Bars

Betty Crocker, Baking Basics

1 large egg, separated

1 cup butter, room temperature {2 sticks :)}

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

1/4 tsp salt

2/3 cup milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped nuts or toffee bits

1. Heat the oven to 350.

2. In a large bowl, place egg yolk, butter, brown sugar and vanilla and stir with a wooden spoon until well mixed.

3. Stir in the flour and salt until mixed. Using your fingers, press the dough firmly and evenly on the bottom of an ungreased 13x9 pan.

4. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until very light brown {the crust will be soft}.

5. Immediately sprinkle the chocolate chips over the hot crust. Let stand about 5 minutes or until chocolate has softented; spread chocolate evenly over bars, using a metal spatula. sprinkle with the nuts and/or toffee bits.

6. Place pan on cooling rack. Let stand 30 minutes before cutting.

7. Share and enjoy!

There are no calories in these bars because you burn them off mixing the dough by hand.

Therefore, go. Make and eat :)

Monday Moments: My Love of Cookbooks:::Betty Crocker:::

Now, I have a lot of cookbooks. My mom tells me I have too much; I say you can never have too many books and in my humble opinion, cookbooks are in a class all on their own. I love reading through cookbooks. My Nana Jane started me going when she gave me the Taste of Home Annual Cookbook for Christmas when I was 14.

{Source}

{{{Those brownies on that gorgeous cake stand {{love those too and anything yellow :)} are SO good. Those were the first things I made from my cookbook :D}}}}

It was my favourite gift that year! I curled up on my bed and read the different entries. I loved looking at the pictures. Ooohing and aahhing over the many delicious looking and sounding recipes...and skipping over the ones that sounded...oh, groossss!!! not so appetizing. I read it cover to cover and then savoured my favourite parts: read anything to do with baking delicious desserts :)

Since that Christmas on, I have acquired a great deal of wonderful cookbooks. Mostly on baking because I like to cook by throwing in a little bit of this and that :) And, the fact that it's only me eating supper isn't a huge motivator to cook...especially since I've always been accustomed to making enough to feed a crowd of at least 10. I love to bake though, and I really want to cook/bake through my books. And where else to chronicle my journey but through this here ol' blog of mine?

These cupcakes are a classic. I love this recipe because you dump everything in your mixer, mix, bake, and frost. Very simple. And delicious...as long as you don't over-bake them ;)

Chocolate Layer Cake

Betty Crocker Cookbook

2+1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1+2/3 cup sugar

2/3 cup unsweetened baking cocoa

1+1/4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking powder

1+1/4 cups water

3/4 cup butter, softened

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1. Heat oven to 350. Grease bottom and sides of  2 round pans {8 or 9 inch} with shortening {I've used butter} and lightly flour.

2. In large bowl, beat all ingredients with a mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping constantly. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into pans.

3. Bake pans for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool pans for 10 minutes and then invert onto a cooling rack.

4. Fill and frost with your choice of frosting!

*Make sure you just use the baking time as a guideline. Use your eyes and nose to test for done-ness. The cake/cupcakes can get very dry if you don't pay attention. Also, make sure you know where your hotspots are in your oven. I always rotate my baking halfway through cooking time to ensure an even baked goodie.*