White Chocolate Cream Cheese Fudge

"Oh Fudddgggeeee"

Yep, I said it.  Youi know it is our famiies favorite holiday movie and my husbands dog is named after Ralph.  Yes it is true, his best little buddy is named Ralph (Ralphy)!

Can I tell you this recipe was a happy accident?  I was look at a recipe by 12 Tomatoes.  I didn't screenshot the ingredients and had closed the tab, so I took a guess at how much I needed of what.  WRONG.  I came up 2 bags of something short, one of this short, and blah blah blah.  So, I used what I had at home, and got this amazing fudge recipe.  I mean it is AHMAZING.  If you love cream cheese and/or white chocolate this one's for you!

You Will Need:

2- 14oz bags of white chocolate chips

1- 8oz brick of cream cheese

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup powdered/confectioners/icing sugar

1 TBSP half and half or heavy cream

Semi-sweet chocolate OPTIONAL

Beat cream cheese for 3 minutes until light and fluffy.  Melt white chocolate in 30 second increments in your microwave until all melted.   Add to your cream cheese mixture.  Mix to combine with your hand mixer. Add in vanilla, and powdered sugar.  Again, combine ingredients.  Add in half and half and mix until completely combined.

In a parchment paper lined 8x8 inch pan, pour the mixture.  It is a different texture and needs spread out.  You can wet the utensil you are using or use another piece of parchment on top and use your hands to smooth.  Let sit for at least 4 hours, overnight is best.

OPTIONAL.....Melt 1/3d cup of semi-sweet chocolate and drizzle on tiop.  Use 1 cup and spread a layer of chocolate on top.

Aunt Em's Famous Caramel Corn

Happy week before Christmas Eve!  You guys, I have been riding a flip flopping, up and down and all around roller coaster for a week now.  Let me fill you in....

On Monday December 9th, I was sitting in the dentists waiting room while my darling hubby had some work done.  I went to post something on my FoodThoughtsOfaChefWannabe Facebook page and BAM.....it had been hacked.  I was taken off admin and the entire contents and control of the page had been stolen.  After much support from all of you, many attempts at contacting Facebook and lots of prayers and luck I got it back last night!  I was devastated thinking I would lose all of those friends!  Now that my holiday spirit is back I have a recipe to share!

This recipe is from a family I grew up with, it is their great aunt's recipe.   My oldest sister has been making this recipe for years and she is "known" for this caramel corn.  I decided I wanted to try my hand at it this year and holy Toledo Ohio!  Amazing, just as always!  This is Aunt Em's recipe but my sister adds vanilla and so, I did too.  Double yum.  I don't suggest any children help with this one, and I DO suggest making a double batch.  You are going to need it!

This recipe is so easy, no thermometers, just good old fashioned timing.  You can't mess it up!

Here we go!
8 qts popped popcorn (if you use salted popcorn or salt your popcorn omit it from the recipe list)
2 sticks butter
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup Caro syrup
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

Keep popcorn warm in a 250 degree oven.  Combine all ingredients EXCEPT soda in a saucepan and stir until all ingredients are combined and sugar is melted.  Continue to stir until the mixture comes to a boil, boil on medium for 5 minutes.  Now is the time to add your SODA and VANILLA if you are using vanilla!  Stir to combine, mixture will raise up in your pot for a moment so don't be alarmed! Pour over popcorn that is in a large roaster or large foil pan.  Stir to combine the caramel and popcorn.  Place back into oven for 1hr.  Stir after 15-20 minutes.  At 60 minutes, stir one last time and let cool and break.  Keep in airtight container!

Her recipe says, "keeps well in a coffee can"!

SIMPLY the best!

5 Cups of Something Cookies

Hello!!

It has been awhile you guys!  As most of you know I have undergone 2 eye surgeries in the last 6 weeks which have simply rendered me unable to cook or bake really at all until a couple of days ago.  It was the best feeling to be able to get in the kitchen and jut get away from life for awhile and bake  Christmas is coming and I had planed such a great barrage of cookie recipes from my family.  I am sorry this eye stuff all came up so suddenly but it is how it worked out and it had to be done.  Don't worry though, I will still get you some fun and very versatile recipes.

Speaking of versatile, this recipe is one of the most versatile I have seen.  My sister Peggy was in for a super quick visit recently and she brought me this recipe.  It is one she makes at the holidays and when I saw the recipe I knew immediately I had to make it and share it.  While I made this with ingredients of my choice, this would be a perfect recipe for your end of the baking train recipes.  You could use up whatever you have left on hand which makes complete sense to me and it will to you as well.

This is a base recipe and the you add 1 cup, of 6 more ingredients.  Genius!  The options you guys, endless.  ENDLESS! (Just on a side note, I am typing this entire thing with my eyes closed because it is easier than the blurriness of my vision right now.  I am just imagining the spell check is going to have to work in overdrive.)
ANYWAY.....

I am going to give you some options for your "5 cups"....
I know you can come up with them on your own, but, you might not have thought of some of these!

cornflakes, rice krispies, coconut, chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, ay chips, M^M's, nuuts, peaut butter, oatmeal, cocoa kirspies, crushed up pretzels, mallow bits, golden grahams....you get my point.

This is why I think it would be a great recipe to use up leftovers on.  All t hose odds and ends of what you have left from your other recipes.

Here we go!

1 cup shortening
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brow sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
5 cups of something else

Get your oven preheated to 350 degrees F.  Cream together shortening, sugars, eggs and vanilla.  Add flour, baking soda and salt, mic to combine.  Add your 5 cups of any combination of ingredients.

Drop by small scopp or teaspoons on greased cookie sheet or a cookie sheet lined with parchment and bake for 9-10 minutes.  Take them out and let them cool 10 minutes.  They will seem MAYBE under cooked but they aren't!  Trust me.  Let them cook and bacm, get a glass of milk and ejoy your Christmas tree!

I used sprinkles on some of mine to fight the "brown cookie syndrome".  I think this would easily be a non issue with red and green candies, etc.  Oh the possibilities!

I hope you are enjoying your holiday preperations!

BE JOYFUL!